Russell Martin will expect a response from his Southampton squad on Easter Monday.
Southampton will not want to dwell on their 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough on Good Friday, as they will be looking to respond quickly when they head away to face Kieran McKenna’s title-chasing Ipswich Town.
The Saints may be out of reach of the Championship automatic promotion slots currently, nine points behind Leeds United in second place, but they can still influence the outcome of the ongoing competition if they defeat the Tractor Boys at Portman Road later today.
Russell Martin may try to drop Che Adams for the away day in Suffolk following his disappointing performance against Michael Carrick’s Boro, with the former Birmingham City player far behind the pace up front.
Che Adams’ performance vs Middlesbrough in numbers
With no goals in his past two Championship games as the lone Saints centre-forward, it may be time for the Scotland international to sit out at Ipswich.
The misfiring Southampton number ten would finish up squandering two great chances in the 1-1 draw with Boro, with the hosts wasting the opportunity to move back into the top two.
The 5’9″ striker would only gather 23 touches from his several shoots at Seny Dieng’s goal, with his forward partner, Adam Armstrong, nearly double that number with 41 next to his name.
The seasoned former Newcastle United player also scored during the game, further exposing Adams’ off-day.
Armstrong’s coolly taken opportunity may lead Martin to play him in the striker position over Adams, with the Saints manager frequently sending the seasoned attacker down the right wing recently.
Goal no.19 📈
👏 @AdamArma9 pic.twitter.com/BxH5KU8Cio
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) March 30, 2024
However, after Adams’ disastrous performance against Boro, in which he made only 12 correct passes and fired blanks, a rethinking may be required.
David Brooks, who has two goals and three assists in nine loan outings for the Saints, may possibly take over the right wing spot.
A personnel shift might possibly see Martin recall Ryan Fraser to his starting lineup for the trip to Ipswich, after the Magpies loanee impressed from the bench late on against Carrick’s men.
Ryan Fraser’s performance vs Middlesbrough in numbers
Fraser might perhaps replace Sulemana on the left wing, as the promising Saints left winger showed flashes of his excellence with two attempted dribbles before being dragged off by Martin in the 63rd minute.
His replacement, Fraser, would flourish in his place, creating a selection dilemma for Martin to deal with today.
Fraser finished his 27-minute stint on the St Mary’s grass with a perfect pass accuracy and won all three ground duels he entered.
Martin, who hailed Fraser as a “brilliant” asset for the Saints earlier this year, would be glad to have him back in his selection plans for upcoming Championship fixtures after the Scotsman found himself frequently in the St Mary’s medical room.
He could possibly return to the first team for the match against Ipswich later on, while Adams is handed a potential rest after failing to make an impression against Boro.
