View from the opposition: Southampton (H)
Liverpool play Southampton this weekend looking to win a seventh consecutive game.
The Saints have been a bit of a bogey team for the Reds in the not-too-distant past but that changed last year when Liverpool beat them 3-0 at home and 2-0 at St Mary’s.
Mark Hughes’ men travel to Anfield on the back of a disappointing 2-2 draw with Brighton, a game they looked to have sewn up until injury time.
The Reds beat PSG on Tuesday but their attention will turn back to the league once again.
To get an insight into how Saints fans are thinking ahead of the game, I spoke to Luke Osman. Here’s what Luke had to say:
Southampton have five points from their first five games, how have they played in those first five fixtures?
There’s been a marked improvement in terms of performances, following on from last season. The results haven’t gone our way and that’s down to a long-standing shortage of mental strength, but we’ve been playing quite well. We’re more aggressive and forward-thinking under Mark Hughes.
Speaking of Mark Hughes, he did his job last season by keeping Saints up. Were you happy to see him get given the manager’s job on a full-time basis?
It’s tough to be happy with Mark Hughes as your club’s manager! However, he earned the chance to retain the job on a permanent basis because when we looked dead and buried last term, he came in and he was influential. A more ambitious appointment would have been welcomed but it was hard to argue against the justification.
Saints have Danny Ings on loan from Liverpool with a view to a permanent purchase next summer. How’s he been performing for you so far?
Ings has been quite fantastic. He’s taken a lot of us by surprise with his ability on the ball and has been typically calm in front of goal. He’s been nursing a foot problem lately but has still been a big threat. Once he’s fully fit, I think the £18m or so we’re paying Liverpool will be a bargain.
Besides Ings, who can’t play this weekend, who have been your best players this season?
Our standout performers have been Nathan Redmond and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. Redmond has looked revitalised under Hughes and has been positive in possession, driving at his opposite number and creating chances. Hojbjerg, meanwhile, has been impressive in the heart of midfield and he’s flourishing with a run of games.
We’ve seen Southampton have success at Anfield on numerous occasions before, do you think this version of the Saints has enough in them to cause an upset?
To be truthfully honest, I don’t think we’ve got a chance. Liverpool look excellent at the moment and that’s without their front three in full gear. I’ll be stunned if we take anything away from Anfield.
Care to make a prediction?
I think it’ll be 4-0 to Liverpool. I can see the pace of Liverpool’s front three causing our rather laboured defence some issues and I fancy a familiar face, Sadio Mane, to net a couple.
Thanks to Luke for taking the time to answer my questions.