MY ACCOUNT
– Southampton have won and scored exactly two goals in three of their last five matches
– At least two goals have been scored in six of Blackpool’s last seven away games
– Recommended bet: Southampton to win with over 1.5 goals in the game
Southampton switch their attention back to the FA Cup on Saturday when they entertain Championship strugglers Blackpool in their first game under new boss Mick McCarthy.
The Saints have suffered back-to-back 1-0 home defeats in the space of the last week while the Seasiders have had a fortnight off since they last played – losing to Watford in what proved to be Michael Appleton’s last game in charge.
Nathan Jones is expected to ring the changes for this tie, which falls between Southampton’s two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final against Newcastle.
McCarthy, who was appointed last week as Blackpool’s new head coach on a deal until the end of the season, is still yet to see his new squad in action.
Their league game against Huddersfield was postponed last weekend because parts of the pitch were frozen and therefore unplayable.
Southampton vs Blackpool (Saturday, 3pm)
Team news
Duje Caleta-Car is suspended after being sent off after picking up two yellow cards in the midweek defeat to Newcastle.
His place alongside Mohamed Salisu is likely to go to Jan Bednarek, who came on as a late substitute on Tuesday after being recalled from loan.
Moussa Djenepo was replaced by a concussion substitute after receiving a knock to the head in the first half and will miss a mandatory period of seven days.
Jones suggested both Southampton’s wide players could have been replaced on form alone, so Mislav Orsic may also drop out of the line-up with Samuel Edozie and Adam Armstrong set to feature instead.
For Blackpool, new signing Charlie Goode looks likely to make his debut at St Mary’s after arriving on loan from Brentford for the rest of the campaign.
The defender could slot in alongside Jordan Thorniley as Marvin Ekpiteta is sidelined by an injury he sustained against Watford earlier this month.
McCarthy is likely to bring in another centre-back or two before the January transfer deadline and will want to implement a back-three system as soon as he has the personnel to do so.
Callum Wright has completed a permanent move to Plymouth Argyle and Grant Ward’s short term contract has expired. Loanees Theo Corbeanu and Rhys Williams have both left Bloomfield Road.
The stats
The Saints’ 1-0 loss to Aston Villa was the ninth straight league game in which they had conceded the opening goal, tying the club’s post-war record streak.
Armstrong scored two goals in his last match against Blackpool – a 3-0 League One win for Blackburn in March 2018.
McCarthy has not managed in the FA Cup since Ipswich’s third-round exit to Sheffield United in 2018 and has not taken a team beyond the fourth round since his Wolves side reached the fifth stage in 2008.
Blackpool eliminated Premier League side Nottingham Forest in the third round. The Seasiders are looking to knock out more than one top-flight side in an FA Cup campaign for the first time since their victorious 1952-53 campaign when they overcame four.
Prediction
McCarthy’s priority is securing Championship safety and he might see this game as an ideal opportunity to learn more about some of the squad he has just inherited.
The Seasiders boss is also trying to get new players in and move others on before the deadline, so there is a good chance that the team he selects will not click from the beginning.
Southampton, despite their inability to score against Aston Villa and Newcastle in the last seven days, have been creating chances and saw goals in each game chalked off after VAR reviews.
Jones can coax a win out of a much-changed side in this game and the chance to build some confidence against a struggling side from the tier below ought to ensure Southampton chase something bigger than their usual one-goal margin of victory.
