Southampton will look to bounce back from the disappointing 2-0 defeat against Watford last weekend when they face bottom-of-the-table Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
The Saints put in arguably their worst performance of the season so far against the Hornets, drawing a blank for the third time in their four Premier League fixtures.
While new boss Mauricio Pellegrino will be disappointed with the tally of five points during that period, it has been a far more eventful start to the campaign for their opponents this weekend.
The Eagles appointed Frank de Boer just after the south coast outfit named Pellegrino as Claude Puel’s successor, but less than two months later he has been sacked after the club lost their opening four top flight matches without scoring a goal.
The Dutchman left his post following the 1-0 defeat to Burnley on Sunday and has been replaced by former England manager Roy Hodgson.
Southampton will be looking for a big improvement in south London and Pellegrino certainly has lots of things to consider before the crucial clash.
Here are three key questions he must answer before facing Palace….
Is it time for a change of formation?
While the 4-2-3-1 formation proved to be hugely successful for Southampton during the reigns of Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman, and when they had the likes of Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert, Sadio Mane and Graziano Pelle in their ranks, it certainly isn’t working for the personnel they have now.
The fact that Saints have failed to find the net in nine of their last 12 Premier League games tells its own story, and they once again looked toothless in the disappointing 2-0 defeat to Watford last weekend.
If the south coast outfit are to rediscover their goalscoring touch then Pellegrino may be thinking about introducing a new system and identity for his team, and preferably one that involves the midfielders providing more support to Manolo Gabbiadini, who currently cuts a lonely figure up top.
The likes of Shane Long and Charlie Austin will certainly be hoping this happens having started the season on the substitutes’ bench, and something like a 3-5-2 formation could work when they have Virgil van Dijk, Wesley Hoedt, Maya Yoshida, Jack Stephens, Ryan Bertrand and Cedric Soares available in defence.
Is Van Dijk ready for a first-team return?
While Southampton have only conceded four goals in their four Premier League matches this season, Pellegrino will be well aware of the difference a fully-fit and motivated Virgil van Dijk could make to not only the defence but also the whole team on his return from injury.
But therein lies the problem.
The Dutchman looked understandably rusty but also slightly disinterested during his appearance for the Under-23s in their 4-0 defeat against Aston Villa on Monday night, and it remains to be seen whether he is physically and mentally ready to return after he failed to secure the move away he wanted during the summer.
However, having established himself as one of the best centre-backs in the division, Pellegrino may well be willing to take a risk on him in order to provide a boost for a struggling Saints team against Crystal Palace.
How will Palace change after Hodgson’s appointment?
Pellegrino would have fancied his side’s chances of taking a positive result at Selhurst Park against a low on confidence Palace side if they were still being managed by Frank de Boer, but he must now prepare his team for a different situation following the appointment of Roy Hodgson.
The former England boss is likely to revert to a less expansive formation than the 3-4-2-1 and 4-3-3 systems that De Boer preferred, and the Eagles are likely to be focusing on keeping a clean sheet first and foremost on Saturday instead of going all out to attack Southampton.
Considering they have Christian Benteke in their ranks, the Eagles could even go more direct and without the likes of Charlie Austin and Virgil van Dijk in the team so far this season, Saints have looked particularly vulnerable from crosses into the box and set-pieces.
Do you agree, Saints fans? Let us know below.
