For the fourth successive game – including the EFL Cup final – Southampton manager Claude Puel stuck with the same starting XI for the match against Tottenham on Sunday.
It is a sight that has rarely been seen by Saints supporters this season with the Frenchman often opting to chop and change his team because of involvement in the Europa League and the domestic cups, which has caused a back log of extra fixtures.
However, with the south coast outfit being knocked out of Europe in December and the FA Cup in January, the club only has to focus on the Premier League – which has meant more consistency in starting Xi in recent weeks.
The results have come as consequence, with consecutive away victories against Sunderland and Watford – where Saints netted four on each occasion – being followed up by the impressive display at Wembley against Manchester United.
While the 2-1 defeat to Spurs at White Hart Lane was perhaps unfortunate in some ways, it showed that it is finally time for Puel to make some changes prior to their match against local rivals Bournemouth at St Mary’s next month.
Here are THREE Southampton players that must come into the starting XI a week on Saturday…
Martin Caceres
After Saints failed to bring in a new centre-back to replace West Ham bound Jose Fonte and the injured Virgil van Dijk during the January transfer window, they signed free agent Martin Caceres on a deal until the end of the season in February.
The 29-year-old had spent more than a year on the sidelines because of injury, but came with a good pedigree having played for the likes of Barcelona and Juventus during his career – as well as picking up 68 caps for Uruguay.
The defender has had to prove his fitness over the last few weeks and Caceres is yet to make his debut for the club. That should change for the visit of Bournemouth, with Jack Stephens putting in another shaky display at White Hart Lane – especially in the first half.
What’s the point of signing a seasoned international only to use him as cover?
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
Despite making a promising start to his Southampton career following a summer move from Bayern Munich, Hojbjerg has found first team opportunities hard to come by in recent weeks with manager Claude Puel deciding to consistently stick with the same starting XI.
The Denmark international’s form certainly dipped over the festive period, but it may just be a consequence of the time he needs to adapt to the rigours of Premier League football.
It’s easy to forget that the midfielder is younger than the likes of James Ward-Prowse and Jack Stephens because of his build, and most Saints fans feel that the 21-year-old would be a better fit than captain Steven Davis is in the current 4-2-3-1 formation Puel is playing.
While it’s hard to drop his skipper, the French boss may tinker with his line-up for the visit of Bournemouth and sacrifice someone like Dusan Tadic instead in order to make his team more solid defensively.
Jay Rodriguez
It’s hard not to feel sorry for Rodriguez, who is so visibly desperate to get back to the form he was showing for the club in 2014.
It just doesn’t seem to be happening for the striker though, and he looks to have slipped down to third in the pecking order of Puel’s preferred options up top following the arrival of Manolo Gabbiadini from Napoli during the January transfer window.
The Italian has been in exceptional form but having picked up a groin injury against Tottenham on Sunday, it could give Shane Long or Jay Rodriguez a chance to impress when Bournemouth visit St Mary’s next month.
The French manager should opt to go for the latter though, who tends to make more similar runs to Gabbiadini than Long does and also has previous against the Cherries – having scored a brace in Saints’ win at the Vitality Stadium in December.
Do you agree, Saints fans? Let us know below.
