Northampton Town welcome Southampton to Sixfields on Tuesday night, for The Saints’ first cup game since relegation from the Premier League. Both sides have their strengths, alongside possible weak areas that could be exploited, making the ‘Hampton derby’ a good prospect for a neutral fan.
With this in mind, let’s look at how both sides could shape up, and how the game could go for both sides.
Northampton Town
The Cobblers are well aware of the tough task they face, up against a side recently relegated from the top flight. But Nolan’s side will be up for it, looking to overcome their recent rut in this competition, having lost their last 3 first round ties in the competition.
- 13/08/2024 – Northampton Town 0-2 Wycombe Wanderers
- 08/08/2023 – Swansea City 3-0 Northampton Town
- 09/08/2022 – Northampton Town 1-2 Wycombe Wanderers
- 11/08/2021 – Coventry 1-2 Northampton Town (2nd round exit)
Whilst it was clear that former NTFC manager Jon Brady focused more on League results than cup runs, Nolan has spoke on the importance of using cup fixtures to gain fitness and confidence without the squad, already stating that a strong team will be played tonight, with just minimal changes from Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Bradford.
With League One starting a week earlier than Southampton’s Championship campaign, The Cobblers squad have already got an extra 90 minutes of competitive football on-board. This may come in handy early in the season, giving Town an extra boost physically and mentally, possibly feeling sharper and more confident with the speed of the game.
The Cobblers are yet to win a game so far this season, but picked up a much desired point against Bradford on Saturday, coming back from a 3-1 defeat at Wigan on the opening day. In these games so far, Cobblers seem to have lacked creativity which has hindered the performance of new striker Ethan Wheatley.
Nolan spoke in the week on the importance of both senior goalkeepers being available and ready for every game, emphasizing his confidence in former Notts County man Ross Fitzsimons. Nolan revealed that he would give Fitzsimons his chance on Tuesday to prove his talent and put his name in the hat for next Saturdays trip to Stevenage.
So with all this in mind, this is how Nolan may line up in the hopes of a possible Carabao Cup upset:
- Goalkeeper – Ross Fitzsimons
- Right Wing-Back – Jack Burroughs
- Right Centre-back – Jordan Willis
- Centre-Back – Max Dyche
- Left Centre-Back – Michael Forbes
- Left Wing-Back – Joe Wormleighton
- Central Midfield – Tyreece Fornah
- Central Midfield – Jack Perkins
- Attacking Midfield – Sam Hoskins
- Attacking Midfield – Cameron McGeehan
- Striker – Elliott List
Whilst it is difficult to predict what side Nolan will play, this is in my opinion the best mix of players who need minutes, alongside a good enough team to fight for a win.
Southampton
Will Still confirmed in the week that Southampton ‘want to win’ and will ‘field the best team possible’ for Tuesday’s clash. Still took charge of The Saints following their relegation last season, and kicked off their Championship season with a 2-1 win over Wrexham at the St Mary’s Stadium on Saturday.
Despite the presence of a possible upset, for many it is clear that Southampton are huge favorites heading into this fixture. Despite their late comeback against Wrexham, The Saints dominated majority of the game, with 75% possession and 27 shots throughout the game.
Shea Charles was a standout performer for Southampton, with the highest: Pass accuracy, Duels won, Fouls won, Tackles won and chances created across either side. His overall control of the midfield really stood out, with the 21-year-old showing great composure throughout.
Southampton obviously struggled last season defensively, conceding 86 goals in 38 Premier League games, but have introduced Joshua Quarshie from Fortuna Dusseldorf to help their defensive woes. It turned out that against Wrexham, their problem was at the other end of the pitch. They ended the game with an expected goals of 4.1, with 3 ‘big chances’ missed, alongside 17 shots flying off target.
There is still lots of quality in The Saints’ squad, with players such as Ben Brereton-Diaz not even touching the pitch on Saturday, and Mateus Fernandes taking place on the bench. Whatever side Southampton chose to field, they will feel it should be a comfortable walkover of the League One strugglers, but any complacency could see them fall behind early on.
Here is how Southampton could lineup:
- Goalkeeper – Alex McCarthy
- Right Wing Back – Yukinari Sugawara
- Right Centre-Back – Ronnie Edwards
- Centre-Back – Nathan Wood
- Left Centre-Back – Joshua Quarshie
- Left Wing-Back – Ryan Manning
- Central Midfield – Matheus Fernandes
- Central Midfield – Shea Charles
- Attacking Midfield – Ben Brereton-Diaz
- Attacking Midfield – Ryan Fraser
- Striker – Ross Stewart
Prediction
With Will Still’s comments in the week regarding the game, I can see nothing but a Southampton whitewash of The Cobblers’ side. The quality and depth within their squad holds too much firepower for the, in places, inexperienced Cobblers side to deal with. My final score prediction is a 3-0 win for The Saints, with goals from Ronnie Edwards, Ross Stewart and Ryan Fraser.
