It’s been a difficult start to the 2025-26 season for Southampton, who currently sit 19th in the Championship with six points from their opening six matches and have come in for particular criticism for a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Hull City over the weekend.
Despite that, or perhaps because of it, Saints manager Will Still hinted at a heavily rotated side likely to include plenty of youth and fringe players when they head to Anfield to take on defending Premier League champions Liverpool in the League Cup
on Tuesday evening.
“We’ve got a massive squad and some players need to play,” Still said at his pre-match press conference today. “We’re never just going to put a load of under-21s in, but we’ve got a lot of good players and some good players that deserve this opportunity.
“Some players need an opportunity, so that’s what will happen—but also players that have done well considering the results of the past few weeks. It’s about getting the right mix between those players that need to play and the ones that probably deserve to play as well.”
While Southampton have struggled so far in league play, with their only win to date coming against promoted Wrexham, the struggling Saints have won two cup matches including beating fellow Championship side Norwich City 3-0 in the second round.
Still, while a little cup magic might be what everyone at Southampton is hoping for, realistically the focus has to be on the Championship and avoiding a relegation scrap—and that also means being realistic about their chances away at Anfield against the Premier League leaders.
“Whatever team starts tomorrow will be a team we think is the best team to play that game and have a go,” Still added “But you have to read the room, read the situation. No one is blind to what’s going on or how we’re conceding goals, but it is an opportunity.”
