After a 9-0 drubbing at home, the very last thing you want to be facing is two back-to-back trips to the Etihad – but that’s just what Southampton face over the coming days.
Southampton are set to face Manchester City in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, which got quite the reaction when the club’s official Twitter account posted a preview image. For a few fans, this was a cue to seek some divine intervention, and hope that their side was not about to be on the end of another crushing loss.
A trip to Man City will surely evoke similarly painful memories from 2018, when the away side was on the end of a 6-1 defeat. A result of that nature tonight will pile more pressure onto Ralph Hasenhuttl – and unfortunately for the Austrian boss, some fans are already fearing the worst:
To Manchester.
Together. pic.twitter.com/jtfNMPyD75
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) October 29, 2019
Less than 5-0 please
— Ryan Stoker (@RyanStoker97) October 29, 2019
But it wasn’t all doom and gloom, some fans were encouraging of their sides chances, urging them to go out and do the impossible:
redeem yourselves Saints??
— m0ses (@musajnrr) October 29, 2019
It’s in the past, tonight we can restore our belief and continue a nice cup run!#WeMarchOn ????
— CardinalSpawn ?EGX (@cardinalspawn83) October 29, 2019
Come on lads! We move forward together
— Ryan Lionel Bentley (@RyanLBentley) October 29, 2019
Do us proud lads
— Rob (@rjcSFC) October 29, 2019
What do we think?
While the likelihood of Southampton pulling off a miracle does remain slim, it should be said that stranger things have happened, especially in Cup competitions. City may decide to rotate key players with the Premier League and Champions League remaining the clubs key priorities.
However, for the Saints, the cup offers a chance of atonement, a no-pressure game where defeat is expected, and a win puts them into the quarter-finals of a major competition. It would be the ultimate redemption story, but even if they do just fall short, a solid, hardworking performance would go a long way towards winning over the trust of the fans once more.