Southampton v Preston Preview

Posted on | February 20, 2009 | No Comments

It was only a couple of years ago that these two sides reached the Championship play offs and while one side remains there, the other is in a real relegation dogfight. Southampton’s demise has been extraordinary over the last few years and they now sit in 23^rd, while Preston look to be having a solid season under Alan Irvine and have reached an impressive 4^th position.

It’s only been a month or so since Southampton disposed of manager Jan Poortvliet yet really, form has not improved one bit. In fact, you could say Saints have got worse since Mark Wotte took over as despite a good debut week, they’ve fallen into the relegation zone and five points separate them from safety. Considering the fact that they’ve played a game more than most sides around there as well, things are not looking good and get worse once Saints fans look at some of the fixtures they have shortly. Their last win was way back at the start of January when they beat Barnsley, but other than that there’s not been much to smile about and having lost their last two games against Sheffield United and Bristol City, it’s essential they get back on track soon.

Preston are another of the division’s success stories with manager Alan Irvine working on a shoe string to produce a play off outfit. Despite mainly using the loan system and bargain buys, the former Everton assistant has worked wonders and guided the Lilywhites into 4^th position. Admittedly, they’ve played more games than some of the sides around them, yet still it’s a remarkable achievement considering their circumstances. In terms of recent form, there haven’t been that many wins thrown in there for Irvine’s men but they do look solid having drawn three from their last four. Undoubtedly, they need to convert a few of those draws into victories if they are to maintain their top six placing, yet as it stands Lilywhites fans will be delighted with how things are going and should be confident ahead of this fixture.

Mark Wotte has hinted that he could ring the changes for this one and could opt for a more attacking approach as he searches for his first victory as boss. However, he’ll have to do that without influential youngster Morgan Schneiderlin who misses this one through suspension. It’s mixed news for visitors Preston as both Neil Mellor and Callum Davidson look set to sit out through injury. However, Alan Irvine can recall Stephen Elliott and Ross Wallace who missed the last game through illness and suspension respectively.

Preston are a solid outfit and because of  that, we can’t see Saints getting all three points here. However, the situation is getting grave at St Mary’s and with that, we can see the home side battling for a draw here – 2-2.

Related posts:

1. Bristol City v Preston Preview
2. Preston v Plymouth Preview
3. Barnsley v Preston Preview
4. Preston v Reading Preview
5. Blackpool v Preston Preview

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