Long ready to march into the Saints team

Striker Shane Long is confident he can reap the benefits of new boss Claude Puel’s preference for two strikers rather than one at Southampton and lock down a regular starting berth this term.

Since Long’s £12million move from Hull City two years ago the Ireland goal poacher has made 60 Premier League appearances – 21 of them coming from the substitutes’ bench.

But Puel’s fondness for a front two ahead of a midfield diamond, plus the departure of both Graziano Pelle and Sadio Mane, looks to be good news for Long.

“The new system takes a bit of work, but I’ve worked a lot on it in the pre-season games because we have to press as a team and defend as a team and when you have that it’s very hard to play against,” he said.

(Photo by Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images)

“I feel like I’ve played well in pre-season and that I’ve put my name forward to be in the starting XI, but there’s Charlie Austin, Jay Rodriguez and Nathan Redmond there as well for those positions and hopefully I’ll get the nod on Saturday (against Watford).

“I know I’m going to have to play well to keep my position in the team because we’ve got a lot of quality in the squad.

“I haven’t really got a good run week-in, week-out for a whole season here. The end of last season was good so hopefully I can do that for 38 games.”