Southampton: Three things the Saints must do to avoid Premier League relegation

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SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – MARCH 03: Erik Pieters of Stoke City chases down Nathan Redmond of Southampton during the Premier League match between Southampton and Stoke City at St Mary’s Stadium on March 3, 2018 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images) /

Redmond must play on the right flank

Nathan Redmond has produced some lively performances since returning to the faltering Saints side, and this continued with his performance against Stoke on Saturday.

Although both Josh Sims and James Ward-Prowse would be unlucky to miss out after good form of their own, Redmond possesses genuine pace that can worry defenders.

Too often however, he is played on the left wing which leads to him constantly cutting in onto his favoured right foot and into areas congested with opposition bodies.

Redmond being on the right more consistently would mean him being able to drive down the line to cross or cut the ball back to teammates. This turns the defence, making run towards their own goal and creating more space for the Southampton frontmen to exploit.

Sofiane Boufal or Josh Sims, who are naturally more two-footed than Redmond, could start on the left to try and bring creativity and direct running from the opposite wing too.