Back To Reality
Saints have to bring themselves back to earth after the magnificent win over Sunderland on Saturday when they take on Stoke City at St Mary's.
The problem for Saints when they take on the Potters on Saturday is that they have now set the bar a couple of more notches higher after drubbing the Mackems 8-0, and as older Saints fans know from some hard lessons, inevitably after a great result comes a big drop back down to earth.
But under Ronald Koeman there now seems to be a quiet confidence in the tam not to mention a grounded realism that should hopefully enable us to keep our feet on the ground and not believe our own hype.
Last season a win like this would lead to great talk of Champions League etc but under the Dutchman you have the feeling that he takes every game as it comes and that by doing that he keeps his players feet on the ground.
Of course Saints will start firm favourites to win, but Stoke will not roll over with the same lack of commitment that Sunderland did, as a team we will need to start again and do the basics, the romp of the final 20 minutes on Saturday needs to be put behind us and the steely determination of the first 20 minutes, do that and there is no reason why we should not march on.
What to read next:
A Rough Guide To Leeds UnitedA big big game for just Leeds now, although by Saturday the odds on them going up automatically might have changed slightly so here is all the info for those travelling Saints fans who are still going,
Southampton Should Not Fear Anyone In The Play Offs.The hope of getting back into the Premier League automatically has long gone, but the season is not yet over and we now have a good chance of getting to Wembley and going up through the play offs, here we look at who we could meet.
Southampton V Stoke City The VerdictThis should have been a celebratory day for Saints fans, there should have been a feeling of positivity, but the truth is that the fight has been knocked out of the supporter base and we go into the play offs with confidence both on and off the pitch at a low ebb.
Saints V Stoke City A Look Back In Pictures 2In the second part of our pictorial look back at some of our games against Stoke City from the past, here we look back at more recent games, so most of you would have been at them.
Southampton V Stoke City The PreviewSaints go into the last two games of the season with their hopes of automatic promotion ended, even the hope of finishing 3rd is only a point away from being ended, but they do have something to play for and that is getting back the togetherness, character & fight Russell Martin has recently be moaned.
No Togetherness No Character No FightNot my words, but those of Southampton manager Russell Martin, who should ask himself the question why two months ago we had all those attributes and now we don't !
Southampton At Leicester The DebacleThe big question is how can a side that was so tight at the back, so clinical up front and who could pass the ball around almost with their eyes closed, become the disorganised rabble that they were at the Leicester City this evening.