Claude Puel has guided Southampton to the League Cup final, but the Saints fans here in the Transfer Tavern are still a bit on edge about their patchy Premier League form.

 A heavy defeat last time out has ramped some of the pressure up on the Saints manager, and he will be looking for his team to bounce back this weekend against Sunderland.

As usual here in the Tavern, it’s been a busy week full of football related chat, and the Southampton fans over at the jukebox have been putting themselves in the manager’s shoes and coming up with ways they can get past Sunderland today.

Our landlord thinks that with a few tweaks, it’s definitely a winnable game for the St Mary’s outfit, and we agree with his stance.

With that in mind, here’s TWO things Claude Puel needs to do to ensure they beat Sunderland this weekend…

Play an attacking team

Puel needs his team to get the win this weekend, and he will need to make sure he sets out and attacking stall to get past the Black Cats.

Sunderland have improved in recent weeks, but there defence is still suspect at times, and Puel should utilise the attacking talents at his disposal like Shane Long, Gabbiadini, and Boufal, to reall get at the Sunderland back four and cause them trouble from the outset.

Stop Jermain Defoe

If Southampton are to get a result, then they need to stop in form striker Defoe.

The England man is lethal, and his finishing display at Crystal Palace was breath taking.

Puel will be looking to the likes or Virgil Van Dijk and Oriel Romeu to put the shackles on the impressive striker, and ensure his Southampton side walk away with all three points come the end of the 90 minutes.