Will Anfield Suit Saints Better Than St Mary's ?

Whilst a trip for an out of form Saints to an in form Liverpool is not one that Saints fans are relishing, it could be that this Saturday's game will suit us more than our last outing against Burnley.

The way Mauricio Pellegrino sets up his Saints side is not exactly the best formation when we play at home, with one striker up front and little creativity other than crossing to a 5ft 9 lone striker marked by two giant central defenders mean few chances are created and even fewer scored.

Manolo Gabbiadini likes to get the ball at his feet and run at defenders on the back foot, but he has had few opportunities at St Mary's this season with our opponents like West Brom & Burnley usually getting men behind the ball, putting up a brick wall and trying to catch us on the break.

This means we look comfortable for most of the game and it will rest on a key moment as to whom wins it, against West Brom it was Sofiane Boufal's amazing goal and against Burnley it was a lapse of concentration that let in Sam Vokes for their only real chance of the game.

But on Saturday at Anfield it will perhaps ironically suit us better, our central midfielders are better defensivly than they are creating chances and passing the ball into the channels, we will be able to play to our strengths which mean we can let them come on to us and then try and expose their weaknesses which means catching them on the break.

It will not be an afternoon for the feint hearted and it is not being negative, but Pellegrino's problems are caused by his failure to use his players to their ability's, he cannot see that he can't put square pegs into round holes and expect things to work, however assuming that he plays a similar line up to recent weeks, then this game will suit us a lot better than playing the likes of Burnley at St Mary's.

But our chances of a result still rely on Pellegrino getting it right, this is not a game to change things, although some will say different, it is a game to play as we have done all this season, a side that is set up to defend and attack on the break, it is just perhaps the first game that we actually need to play that way.

Pellegrino though has to play the right players, his team selections in recent games have been strange to say the least, if he gets it wrong then it will be a long afternoon, however if he gets it right we have nothing to fear, we can put out a side that can negate Liverpool's attacking falir and catch them on the break.

The only worry is that Pellegrino will for the first time this season try to attack and play two forwards, that will play right into Liverpool's hands.

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