Southampton V Leeds United Wembley Play Off Preview – Southampton News

Southampton V Leeds United The Wembley Play off Preview
Saturday, May 25, 2024 09:35

They call it the biggest money game in the world, Saints are looking to put more millions back into the Premier League coffers next season and for many of their fans, that’s all they have to be happy about if they win the game.

In football you always want the team you support to play at the highest level, and in England it’s the Premier League, but these days it’s much more polarized between those who have rich owners with bottomless pockets and those who don’t.

So for most of the Premier League it’s about making up the numbers, hoping that like Saints in 2016, you’re the club that gets lucky and breaks the mold for a short while.

Speaking to many Southampton fans, they all agree, if we win the game and take the money but stay in the Championship, next season would be a lot more fun.

But it’s all a pipe dream and the reality is we have to go to Wembley and win and get back into the Premier League and get back to the business of chasing mid-table mediocrity, which is success for about 60% of the Premier League now and it won’t change until the so-called Big 7 leave for a European Super League.

But none of that matters tomorrow, it’s about celebrating Southampton FC and cheering them on to do their job and push us back into the top flight.

The Saints fans stepped up to the plate a week ago when they generated perhaps the best atmosphere ever seen in St Mary’s and the fans responded.

The problem is Leeds fans will be in front of the game too, we need to make sure the neutrals watching are not talking about their great support but ours!
We have the advantage although we play in our black kit which is not our club colours, Leeds play in white another neutral colour, if as some would say it is actually a colour.

This means that their end will not look as colorful as ours, if we all try to wear something red then it will be a visual advantage.

But it’s not enough to just wear a Saints scarf and sit there in silence like we did against West Brom, we all need to make a bit of noise and we need to keep doing it no matter how the game goes.

One thing I have learned about Russell Martin’s teams this season is that the game is not over until the final whistle, we are specialists in late goals, we wear the opposition down by constantly holding the ball and making them run and that’s why they get late equalizers or winners.

The big question is always what team the manager will field, I have to be honest I think we might as well give Leeds the team sheet now, I can’t see anything other than the team that started against West Brom, although that in itself could be a problem.

If we play Jack Stephens at left-back, and to be honest he’s done a good job in the two play-off games so far, then he’ll have his plate full early, Leeds will come at us early and Stephens will need . the help he can get on our left means whoever is in front of Jack will have to work hard.

It’s going to be a Ryan that gets the job, but it’s going to be more defensive with Ryan Manning or it’s going to be Ryan Fraser more offensively, I think it’s going to be a combination of the two, one replacing the other whoever starts.

But apart from that, I think what will transform this game is the use of substitutes and from that angle I think we have the advantage.

Southampton’s bench is stronger than Leeds’, in defense we have James Bree an experienced defender at this level, in central midfield we have the youth of Shea Charles and the experience of Joe Rothwell to call upon and attack wise we have a few real options, Sam Edozie, Sulemana and the two wild cards of Che Adams and Ross Stewart.

Adams looks set for a place on the bench but is unlikely to play anything more than a short spell, he is our get out of jail card but one that Leeds may not have.

So doomsday is coming and we should embrace it, this is a game we’ve been working towards all season, it’s a winnable one, albeit a tough one.

The message remains the same for players and fans alike: “Leave nothing on the field, leave nothing in the stands.”

Wear your red and white with pride, make some noise and hopefully carry the day.

Photo: Action Images

Please report offensive, defamatory or inappropriate posts using the links provided.

You must login to post your comments