Southampton are unlikely to benefit from the heralded new manager bounce when they face Liverpool on Wednesday.
The Saints sacked Russell Martin after a 5-0 thumping at the hands of Tottenham left them at the bottom of the Premier League table and nine points adrift of safety.
The turnaround means they’re unlikely to see a replacement be selected ahead of their impending Carabao Cup quarter-final meeting with the Merseysiders.
Nonetheless, the timing is far from likely to suit Arne Slot’s outfit, who may have been hoping for a slightly more routine outing.
The former Feyenoord boss admitted the decision to sack Martin will have left his side with quite the conundrum heading into the midweek fixture.
A reaction from the Southampton squad, now bereft of the manager who secured them a playoff promotion from the Championship last term seems all but inevitable. Then there’s the practical realities of a potential informational and stylistic tweak ahead of Liverpool’s trip to St Mary’s Stadium.
“It’s difficult because I saw them during the weekend starting with four at the back, which they changed after 15 minutes, going to five at the back. And the one that takes over normally plays with four at the back, so what can you expect?” the Dutchman informed reporters at his pre-match presser (via liverpoolfc.com).
“I think the players maybe feel more comfortable with five from what I saw during the weekend. But it’s also a moment for the manager to have his impact. If he truly believes four is the best… and it depends maybe also on how long is he going to get. Is he only there for one game or is he there for longer? Will he play with his normal starters if he only has one chance or a few chances to lead the team? Will he then do what’s best for the Premier League or for him as a chance to maybe reach the semi-final of the League Cup?
“So, it’s difficult what we can expect in terms of formation, in terms of personnel. But what we do know is that we have to play an away game against Southampton, against 11 players.”
Diogo Jota, unfortunately, is unlikely to build on his goalscoring performance against Fulham at the weekend.
The Portuguese international ‘wasn’t entirely OK’ after the 2-2 draw but may still earn some minutes in the Carabao Cup.
Caoimhin Kelleher is one confirmed starter, with the Republic of Ireland international set to temporarily return between the sticks. However, it remains to be seen whether Slot will look to rotate any further.
Perhaps not with a piece of silverware increasingly coming into view.
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