Mauricio Pellegrino’s arrival has brought a breath of fresh air at the St Mary’s and the result is clearly evident. The Saints have accumulated four points from the first two matches in the English top tier they have played so far.
Pellegrino’s vision to empower the club with an attacking intent has been appreciated hugely and his side will face a stern test when they travel to the Kirklees Stadium to face a jubilant Huddersfield Town.
Predicted 4-3-3 Southampton Lineup Against Huddersfield Town
Defence
Fraser Forster is expected to be handed the gloves. The keeper needs to come out of his comfort zone to challenge himself in this match. The 29-year-old has managed a single clean sheet this season so far and would be looking to add to the tally.
The uncertainty over Virgil van Dijk’s future has remained a concern for the club. The Dutch defender has been asked to train with the reserves and is expected to be unavailable for this match.
Maya Yoshida and Jack Stephens will pair up in the centre of the defence once again. They have done convincingly well and would like to up the ante and secure their places.
Ryan Bertrand has made the left side his own and would be looking to combine with the attacking players.
Cedric Soares will have his chances from the opposite side.
Midfield
The arrival of Mario Lemina has given Pellegrino a much-needed upgrade in the midfield. The club record signing is in contention to make his second straight start against the Terriers.
Pellegrino is likely to use a double pivot in the middle of the pitch to give his back line an extra bit of assurance and Oriol Romeu would be in command of the midfield once again.
Steven Davies would like to stretch the play from the midfield. The Saints veteran is expected to be deployed in an advanced role to have his say in the attack directly.
Attack
Pellegrino likes to attack from the start of the proceedings and Nathan Redmond will play a key role in his setup. The winger has been brilliant for the Saints and his attacking display would come in handy in this kind of games.
Dusan Tadic’s importance in the side cannot be defined. Claude Puel’s style of play has attracted huge criticism but under Pellegrino, Tadic is likely to have a more attacking role this season.
Manolo Gabbiadini’s arrival gave the fans a ray of hope last season and the Italian international is tipped to build on his previous season’s displays.
