Ronald Koeman has a few selection headaches to ponder over before he selects his starting XI to take on Newcastle United at St Mary's.

Koeman for the first time this season has a settled squad to choose from with the only doubts being Lloyd Isgrove and Sam McQueen, both out injured and of course whether Sadio Mane will be here in time to make his debut.

Mane will not be able to meet up with his team mates before Saturday morning at the earliest and after a gruelling journey from Botswana he might be fit only for a place on the bench.

Other than those three there are no issues that we know of so Koeman has to make a few decisions regarding his starting XI and whether he goes with the old adage of not changing a winning side or like the trip to West Ham picks the team he considers best for the way he sees the game going.

His first decision will be at the back, Toby Alderweireld is a top class defender and although it is harsh on Yoshida, I expect Koeman to make that call and put Alderweireld in the team, harsh on Yoshida, but the truth is the Japanese international is not up to the standard of Alderweireld and we need to be pro active and not sit back and wait for mistakes to happen before making deicision, it could be harsher still for Yoshida as with Gardos also in contention, if Koeman opts for only one central defender on the bench, he could find himself not even getting changed.

In the centre of the park Koeman has to decide whether to put Wanyama back into the side, he sat out the West Ham game for tactical reasons, but he was the best player in the opening two league fixtures, if he does come back then who would make way for him ? the choice is probably from one of Davis or Ward Prowse, again it would be harsh on either, but this is a squad game, although Koeman could opt to reshuffle a bit and drop Shane Long to the bench.

Other than those decisions I would expect the team to be pretty much the same as performed so well at West Ham, I think Koeman would prefer to tweak the side rather than make wholesale changes, he is building up team spirit and needs to ensure he is harsh but fair and that the players know that sometimes as in dropping Wanyama last week, even the best players have to sit out a game for tactical reasons.

Fact is it is good to be able to discuss what differing tactics and formations might be used, last season's previews were often short and sweet, Pochettino had a starting XI and stuck to it week in week out with only injury changing it and then only putting in the same like for like replacements, if I could tell what the Argentinian was going to do then so could the opposition.

With Koeman it is different although we know what the core of his team will be, truth is that every position is up for grabs and each and every player could be dropped if they don't play up to standard, Koeman has a squad now and not just a team.

Personally I think the team will line up

Forster

Clyne, Alderweireld, Fonte, Bertrand

Long, Schneiderlin, JWP, Wanyama, Tadic

Pelle

Subs K Davis/Boruc, Cork, S Davis, Gardos, Mane, Yoshida, Targett/Mayuka

Not a bad starting line up and good options off the bench as well, of course it could be a little stronger, but it is now about taking steps forward, Saints aim this season is to consolidate on that 8th place last season, I think although it would be nice to improve on it, it will be very hard and 8th might be the best achievable, to do so we need to beat Newcastle who again themselves will be looking for a top 10 finish.

They of course have problems of their own both on the field where they have injury problems and off it where owner Mike Ashley is rumoured to be interested in taking oover at Rangers in Scotland and this is going to affect their game.

If Saints can get on top of the game and get an early goal this will increase the pressure on the team from the fans who could turn against both manager and Chairman and create an atmosphere that makes it hard for their team to play in.

This will be the game plan but of course we have to be wary of them getting an early goal and turning elements of our own crowd against us, after a great win at West ham its easy to forget that in the last home game sections of the crowd were very non supportive of Pelle to put it mildly, we also have to be patient and realise that unlike last year we have plan B's and C's, if the game doesnt go our way we have a manager capable of turning it around and trying something different.

So if the crowd gets behind the team and we get it right we are more than capable of a win, if we do so then it will b a very satisfactory start to the season and we will have built some solid foundations to truly allow us to move forward as a club.

Key Player
Graziano Pelle, he needs to replicate his performance at West Ham to show certain elements of the crowd tht he has what it takes, if he does so and scores early on then it could be a exciting game

Photo: Action Images

slynch added 10:27 - Sep 12 "Saints' aim this season is to consolidate on that 8th place last season". That is not an aim it is your prediction and hope. If they end up 6th near the end of the season they will not lose a game to achieve their "aim". Their aim is to get the best result out of each game. Otherwise, I entirely agree. Except, of course, they will be 2nd by Xmas.
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nomorerumours added 11:08 - Sep 12 and finish 2nd behind Chelsea at the end of our best ever season!
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ExiledSupporter added 11:40 - Sep 12 I was at WHAM and was really pleased to watch one of our best away performances in years, but before ko was very concerned that Wanyama was dropped. You have several times mentioned that he was dropped for tactical reasons, but I'm not quite clear what those reasons were other than to accommodate Long in the side. In my view he was perhaps the least impressive player on view on that day. Now you suggest that Wanyama should return this week (which I hope he does because his presence tends to free Morgan to move up field without having to look over his shoulder at the defence as much) can you tell us a little more clearly why you thought Wanyama was not required last week but would be required this week? You might reasonably think we would be a little more attack oriented this week and a little less so last week, that would appear to be the opposite of RoKo's thinking (if you are right about Wanyama's return) Can anyone enlighten me please? By the way if Mane only gets back on Saturday morning as you suggest, then I would have thought there was no chance of him even sitting on the bench!

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SaintNick added 11:49 - Sep 12 In simplistic terms I think Wanyama was dropped because West Ham had no Nolan in midfield who usually puts it about for them, therefore Koeman felt the midfield battle would not be about winning the ball, but keeping it, I also though he thought that the centre of midfield would be bypassed by west ham going forward, so that supports the decision to leave out Wanyama, we didnt need a ball winner in the centre I didnt say that Mane would not get here on Saturday only that he wouldnt meet his team mates till then, if he were to arrive on Friday night he would get a nights sleep so could well be fit to be on the bench the next day

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WestSussexSaint added 12:49 - Sep 12 Nick, your lineup suggest Alderweireld will line up on the right of the two CB's and given he also can play RB this would be logical. What it does mean is Fonte shifting to the left CB slot. I know there was debate a couple of seasona ago about Fonte not being able to play there and that was why Hoiveld and Yoshida were spefically brought in as left sided CBs to balance the pairing. Could this mean that Fonte is dropped in favour of Gardos - difficult one for RoKo given he is the Captain now!

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Butty101 added 12:59 - Sep 12 Mane apparently does not have a work permit yet. RK said as much yesterday. I cant wait to see mane and tadic in the same team. Good times could be back.
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REEDYREEDOREEDZ added 13:08 - Sep 12 Pardew is under real pressure at Newcastle and can't afford to get trounced by Saints like they did in last season's 4-0 rout. So I think Pardew will set Newcastle up to be very hard to beat with the focus on not conceding, 10 men behind the ball type stuff and then look to catch us on the counter. They've got the players to do it if they sit Colback and Tiote in front of the defence and use the pace of Riviere to counter. It could be a very frustrating afternoon for Saints unless someone like Tadic or Pelle comes up with some magic. Maybe Mane will be on the bench as a last throw of the dice with ten minutes to go. Hopefully we won't need him and we'll be 2 up by that point. As for Wanyama, I think we only need him in certain games. He's great as a destroyer against teams who play it on the deck, so against any of the top 7 teams or the likes of Swansea he can be immense in the midfield battle. At home to Newcastle Steven Davis gets the nod for me, ahead of Wanyama, as he's less defensive. I'd play a near 4-4-2 formation with Long up top with Pelle and JWP on the right putting crosses in. Schneiderlin and Davis in the middle. Tadic on the left. Alderwiereld in for Yoshida because he’s the better player.

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saintmark1976 added 14:44 - Sep 12 So we go to West Ham and get a good result,winning a game after coming from behind for almost the first time in living memory. Why then reward some of the players who achieved this by dropping them? How are you so certain that Alderweireld is better than Yoshida? My suggestion is never change a winning team but then again nothing ceases to surprise me in regard to modern day football particularly in the Premiership.

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cheltenhamsaint added 15:43 - Sep 12 I agree with Reedy re Wanyama. He will play when we need to win the ball back and/or provide a defensive shield of the back four. Against the lesser attacking sides his attributes are less needed and we would be better off having a quick passer of the ball (Davis) or someone more creative going forward. I think Yoshida will start and Toby will have to wait for his debut, which will allow him to assess the PL from bench and get to know his squad team mates.

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schatfield added 17:27 - Sep 12 I think now Boruc is stuck with us, he will always be ahead of Davies on the bench (crazy not to) And considering the crazy flight back from Africa, I don't think he will even get out of his pj's, let alone make the bench. Still i'm not a manager, so expect him to be in the starting line-up :)
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REEDYREEDOREEDZ added 18:54 - Sep 12 Yoshida's done nothing wrong and deserves to keep his place but Toby is better and hasn't come to Saints to sit on the bench. Tough call for Koeman but a good problem to have.
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Saintsfaninoz added 11:02 - Sep 13 I like Wanyama and I think he will play. He is an enforcer in the midfield, can pass and has a great footballing brain. It would be crazy not to play Alderweireld instead of Yoshida. He is a class player and certainly better than Yoshida. We did not pay 10Mill for him to sit on the bench. Personally, I prefer Long on the bench and to come on later in the game (say at the 60 min mark) when his pace can cause real problems for a tiring defence. Mane will be on the bench at best. Long distance travel is very tiring, not to mention jet-lag and settling into a new country/culture/team-mates. I am expecting a good performance this time (as opposed to the performance vs WBA). 3-0 Saints, just to put more pressure on ex-manager Alan Pardew.

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