Southampton heave a sigh of relief listening to Liverpool's Carabao tie plans, but Will Still must prioritise key objectives over the Reds' rotation advantage if the Saints want to turn their season around.
Hardly any Saints fans would deny that Will Still's torrid record has found the manager often compared with ex-boss Martin lately. But while the Still-Martin discussion dominates the surface, every fan hides a fear of not having to see Still competing with Ivan Juric's records.
After all, normalising the two bosses' initial displays, Still's tenure hasn't stood out from Juric's. Instead, having picked things amidst mid-season turmoil, some may sympathise with the Croatian here.
To say, the general notion remains clear, but what would be your reaction if Still was actually tipped to pluck a leaf from Juric's Saints chapter? Sounds terrible, until one sees it's Liverpool whom the Saints face next.
If you remember, Juric's Anfield show was arguably his Saints side's best performance. Admitted, they did ultimately lose, but leading into the half-time break, they surely put the 60,000 Reds crowd present in panic.
Needless to say, coming from an embarrassing winless streak, it would be enough for the fans if Still manages to replicate Juric's Anfield display. Luckily enough, their task has just got a bit easier as Reds boss Arne Slot lays out his rotation plans ahead of the matchday.
Speaking in his recent media address, as quoted by This is Anfield, Slot said: “The ones that played three times 90 [minutes] are Virgil, Ibou, Mo, Ryan and Dom – the ones that are used to this intensity and this level. I can tell you now you won’t be seeing them on Tuesday.”
Honestly, this relaxation would have the optimistic Saints fans already excited, but what they must realise is that this game has bigger implications for Will Still and his side than just a Carabao Cup fixture.
Will Still must ignore Liverpool advantage for Championship success
This may sound off, but Southampton's Anfield target shouldn't be a win, nor even dragging the game into penalties. Now, some late-night show will be fine, nevertheless, but more than that, Still's focus should be on ensuring just these two aspects.
Breaking the suspense, the first of them should be getting a Saint on the scoresheet. Having witnessed Will Smallbone's goal reaction from the Anfield crowd, fans would agree that if Still's side achieves this, it can be a huge morale booster for the club.
Talking of the second objective, it should be trying to test Liverpool's patience until the final whistle. Evidence has it that the Reds haven't closed games comfortably this season, having had to fight till the very end for crucial points.
If Southampton manage to test their opposition's resolve fully, then it could be great to invoke a good form to alter the course of their Championship season, and who knows, maybe an upset win over Liverpool as well.
Lately, it's been more horrible than hurray for the Saints on their priority promotion dream. Let's hope this Liverpool clash helps the side get back on track with their ambitions.