Southampton v Portsmouth: St Mary’s boss enlists extra help to spell out importance of south-coast derby.
For the first time since 2019, Pompey and Southampton will square off in the South Coast Derby on Sunday, and all eyes will be on St Mary’s.
According to Will Still, Southampton has consulted several former players to emphasise the significance of the south coast derby.
The Saints manager has also urged his team to maintain discipline as they get ready to host Pompey, who are bitter rivals, at St. Mary’s on Sunday.
For the first league encounter between the two teams since April 2012, 2,700 Fratton supporters are anticipated to be in the away end, guaranteeing a sell-out crowd at the other end of the M27.
Still, the Southampton manager, is still getting used to life at St Mary’s after being hired in the summer. However, with nine new faces joining during the transfer window, he is not alone in adjusting to his new environment.
To help his plethora of new hires understand the significance of the game, the former Lens manager has sought the aid of some former Saints favourites.
Southampton’s unique Pompey preparation
‘We can’t just accept conceding goals, we can’t just accept that we draw games, that’s not the standard that we want to work to.
“We want to stop giving up these bad, pointless goals that we have given up in the first two games.” Therefore, it is an excellent time to play a derby; it must have a special meaning.
We are aware that it must have a slightly deeper meaning. I hope that every player knows exactly where we’re heading and what this means for this weekend.
Will Still’s Southampton call
Southampton have had a mixed start to their latest Championship campaign, sitting two points and five places behind Pompey going into the derby.
Since their only league victory to date was against Wrexham on the first day of the new campaign, a victory is crucial not only for the bragging rights but also for their confidence and position in the division.
Still, though, thinks discipline against Pompey will be necessary to win the three points that are up for grabs.
It is essential to strike the correct balance. Rushing into them and dismissing two players in the first five or ten minutes is pointless.
We all know very well that when we are being aggressive or attempting to accomplish our goals, we must also exercise discipline.
That’s only a portion of it, which is why we enjoy playing these kinds of games. It prepares you for that, and the winner of the game will most likely be the one who can handle it the best.
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