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Southampton V Leicester City The Preview

It is of course the battle of the bottom three and both teams have nothing to play for in terms of beating relegation so Leicester are playing solely for pride and Saints for that point that takes them above Derby County's unwanted record.

No one remember who finishes in second place and that applies to which team has the second worst points total record in the Premier League as much as who finishes runners up in any season.

So this is a big game for Southampton and in some respects we go into it as favourites given Leicester appalling record since mid December, that has seen them win just 1 game and draw another out of 19 Premier League outings, that is 4 points out of half a season.

Now our record in that time isn't much better, but our haul of 1 win and 3 draws means we are the form side, yes I know LOL.

Leicester haven't scored at home in 9 Premier League games, that is an appalling record, but we all know what that usually means and when Saints come into town against a bad record, we usually like to be very obliging in helping that team or player that hasn't scored in 5 years or so, end that drought.

But we can go into this game with some hope, under Simon Rusk & Adam Lallana we have got ourselves a little more organised and we are now giving teams a game, but the problem that in the main has got better but not enough yet, has been our ability to see out a game.

Under Ivan Juric we made some horrific substitutions that cost us games, under Rusk it has got better, but it has still been about a lack of class coming on the pitch, in the last two games at St Mary's, both have seen injury team goals cost us points, if we had held on against both Crystal Palace & Fulham we would be 3 points better off and looking to move up the table of lowest Premier League points and not seeking that elusive point.

So I expect Simon Rusk to keep things pretty much as we set ourselves up against Fulham, but if we are going to get something out this game, we have to change things in the final stages coming off the bench.

We need to bring on experience we need to bring on quality and hopefully players that have both, 4 players who have not played a part under Rusk should be on the bench, Adam Lallana as a player as well as coach, Charlie Taylor, Ryan Fraser & Armel Bella-Kotchap, have both experience and class, I can understand why all 4 would be a bit too far given their lack of game time, but not why at least two of them aren't on call.

So this is a winnable game you would hope that Leicester aren't up for this game as much as we are, there season is done and dusted, their manager is not going to be employed by the club in few weeks and their top scorer in the past decade Jamie Vardy is also leaving, Vardy might want to go out with a bang, but the rest of them aren't that bothered.

So could this be the day we get that unwanted record off our backs, I hope so, it deserves to be put to bed away from home, in front of those fans that have stuck with the team home and away and travelled in their thousands all season.

They deserve to be able to celebrate at the end of the game, perhaps they won't be celebrating success, but they will be able to celebrate progress, nothing can be changed from the past 9 dreadful months, but we can take some small steps towards the rebuild and if that is only getting a draw at Leicester, but losing that joint record then I will take that and applaud our team at the end.

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