There’s no doubt this weekend’s match against Southampton is a huge game for both sides, and unfortunately injuries continue to have an impact on both squads.
Whilst I don’t need to say anything on our injury situation, Southampton have been dealt a huge blow prior to even travelling to Wearside as Virgil van Dijk and Charlie Austin are both unavailable.
I’m a big fan of both players and I’ve previously highlighted their quality in my previous ‘ones to watch’ back in August.
They will be a big miss to Claude Puel’s team, but there’s no doubting the quality the Frenchman still has at his exposal...
Oriol Romeu
Oriol Romeu didn’t really get much of a shout under Ronald Koeman and played very safe, but under Puel he’s been given more freedom to play out from the back and influence the game. It could be a good thing for us because if we press well we could be rewarded with opportunities, but he’s a good player who came through the Pep Guardiola school of football at Barcelona. Oriol had a few injuries when he went to Chelsea but he’s come into his own at Southampton and started to fulfil his potential which bodes well for them in the future.
Nathan Redmond
I’ve kept close tabs on Nathan Redmond for a number of years now because of his involvement in the England under-21 set-up along with our young players Jordan Pickford and Duncan Watmore. Redmond has made a big, big impression during the first stages of his Southampton career and it doesn’t surprise me one bit! He is the kind of player that makes things happen, when he receives the ball, wherever he might be on the pitch his first thought is to try and do something positive. Nathan has quick feet and is excellent in one on one situations. With four goals so far this season in all competitions, Redmond deserves credit for adapting to a new position because he’s been playing centrally rather than on the wing.
Fraser Forster
A regular in the England set-up, Fraser Forster is an outstanding goalkeeper who originates from our neck of the woods up here in the North East. Having featured in every minute of Southampton’s Premier League campaign so far, Forster has racked up eight clean sheets – the third highest in the top-flight behind just Hugo Lloris and David de Gea on nine while Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois has managed 13. Brave off his line, Forster is a fantastic shot stopper and displays a great amount of aggression for a goalkeeper.
Manolo Gabbiadini
When the name M. Gabbiadini lights up on the big screens on Saturday, I’m sure your first thought is Marco Gabbiadini. Marco was a top drawer talent and one of the best players I played against. My first memory of Marco was when I played for Portsmouth and I came up to the North East and lost 4-0. That day he was absolutely fantastic, everything about him oozed class. While Manolo is no relation to Marco I’m sure the name Gabbiadini adds a certain spice to his arrival on Wearside and that’s why he is definitely one to watch. A big money move from Napoli in January, the 25-year-old has wasted no time in making an impression as he netted on his debut last weekend against West Ham United. With all foreign strikers coming to the English Premier League there’s always some uncertainty about how they’ll adapt and what kind of impact they’ll have, so close marking will be crucial.
Anyone else…
I’ll also be looking out for Jay Rodriguez who needs no introduction! He's endured a tough couple of years due to injury so it’s good to see him playing regularly and he could start as Puel is without top scorer Austin for Saturday’s match. With five goals in 25 appearances this season, Rodriguez is a hard working striker and will be hopeful of adding to his tally having already netted an 85th minute equaliser against the Black Cats earlier this season. Dusan Tadic is another player I must highlight because he really is one of Southampton’s key players and his assists over the seasons have been up there with players at top-four clubs. He loves to attack and pick passes whilst being very comfortable on the ball, and he is a player Sunderland need to be aware of. The last player to watch is Shane Long, he is a tenacious runner and always has an eye for goal. He will put a lot of pressure on our backline and is a willing runner in behind and in the channels. His work rate is something we must try to contain because if he is given half a chance he will open us up.
