Russell Martin unveils Southampton’s weapon versus Stoke.
Before the game, one person in particular is expected to be highly valuable to Martin.
In an interview with the Daily Echo, Southampton manager Russell Martin said that he will rely on Will Smallbone’s knowledge ahead of tonight’s encounter at Stoke City.
Smallbone spent last season at the bet365 Stadium under the direction of Stoke manager Alex Neil, and he will have some helpful knowledge to share ahead of Sunday match in Staffordshire.
Smallbone impressed for much of the 2022/23 season, particularly away at Middlesbrough, when he formed a solid partnership with Ben Pearson and Josh Laurent in the centre of the park.
Who is the favorite for Stoke City vs. Southampton?
He is now back with the Saints, who have had a rocky start to the season. After a promising start, they dropped four league games in a row before getting back on track last weekend with a win over Leeds United.
Stoke also got back on track at the weekend with a 2-0 win over Bristol City – a much-needed success for boss Neil, who was under pressure after the Robins went ahead after 15 minutes.
The Staffordshire club have the opportunity to return home this evening – but that isn’t necessarily a good thing, since Hull City defeated them 3-1 at the bet365 Stadium in their last home encounter.
The visitors, on the other hand, haven’t won away from home since the Plymouth Argyle encounter in mid-August, so both clubs may believe they have a chance to take three points from this game.
What is Southampton’s weapon versus Stoke City?
Martin will know how Neil works from their time together at Norwich City, but the latter will have changed things since then, and with Smallbone working under the ex-Norwich boss at Stoke, the Saints’ manager wasn’t ashamed to admit that he will be exploiting the midfielder’s knowledge.
“It will be a really interesting and different game than Saturday,” he remarked. I’m looking forward to it a lot.
“Will (Smallbone) played under Alex Neil last season and understands how he operates.” We’ll take advantage of that as well.”
Who will win the match between Stoke City and Southampton?
It’s a tough one to call considering both sides have flaws going into this one.
Stoke will be under a lot of pressure to achieve a result after how poorly their home game against Hull went, but they will be in a good mood after their triumph at Ashton Gate.
The Saints will also be on a high after defeating Leeds, who were on the rise before losing to St Mary’s.
Can Martin’s team remain defensively strong and limit unforced errors? You believe those two criteria will ultimately determine the outcome of this match.
This game is arguably too tight to call right now, but it would not surprise me if Stoke came out on top with a narrow road.
The Saints cannot afford to get carried away and must demonstrate their worth away from home. If they can win tonight, it will be a huge boost for them.
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