'Do whatever it takes' - Will Still's blunt message to Southampton players ahead of south-coast derby against firece rivals Portsmouth
Southampton boss Will Still is already trying to rally his troops ahead of Pompey’s visit to St Mary’s for the south coast derby next weekend
Will Still has told his Southampton players a few home truths in the build up to next weekend’s much-anticipated south-coast derby against Pompey.
The St Mary’s boss has been making it clear to his first-team squad what will be required of them for the first league meeting between the two fierce rivals since April 2012.
And the message couldn’t be simpler: forget tactics, just do whatever it takes to win.
Southampton v Pompey : Blues enjoy league advantage heading into game
Pompey head to Southampton on Sunday, September 14, for a midday kick-off sitting above their hosts in the Championship table.
With two wins, a draw and a defeat from their first four games of the season, they currently sit eighth in the standings on seven points.
That’s two more points than what Still & Co have accumulated so far this term, with their record of one win, two draws and a home loss to Stoke seeing them sit 13th in the table.
Given the levels that both clubs have found themselves operating at in recent years, for Pompey to be the higher-placed side ahead of the fixture is hugely admirable and befitting of the Blues’ impressive progress under head coach John Mousinho.
It’s also given the Fratton faithful plenty to brag about as 2,700 of them prepare to descend on Southampton for the first time in 12-and-a-half years, albeit in coach travel managed by the Pompey.
The travelling Pompey supporters are guaranteed to make their presence well and truly felt in the sold-out away end without any social media postings or messages to the fanbase asking them to bring their ‘A game’ to St Mary’s.
And that’s something Still wants his players to replicate on the pitch. Indeed, the former Lens boss wants his team to show all the hunger, passion and more you’d expect from such a high-profile game, and to demonstrate they want it more than Mousinho’s team - something he believes will be the main difference between to two sides on the day.
Still’s message to Southampton players ahead of Pompey game
Speaking to the Daily Echo, the recently-appointed Southampton boss said: ‘I think the derby is... you can talk about tactical stuff as long as you want, 3-4-3 or 4-2-3-1 or whatever it is.
‘I think the derby is there to be won and to do whatever it takes to win it. You need to stick your little toe on the line or your backside to defend the goal.
‘If you've got to throw yourself at anything, then that's what you've got to do, and that's what we'll have to do. I hope that the players understand that.
‘We'll 100 per cent put that message out there because we obviously know how big and important that is to the city itself and to the people.
‘The tactical element of it, yes, plays a part, but on the day itself it's just about who wants it more because it's two teams going up against each other.
‘It will be competitive so it's just about the little details and who's willing to make those details lean into our favour or theirs. We have to be doing that.’
For all the latest news in the build-up to the south-coast derby, check out portsmouth.co.uk