With Saints planning and more frustratingly seemingly playing with their eyes on next season, Monday night's game is a big one for Watford. We can only hope that after the disappointment of failing to beat bottom side Crewe away from home that will see a reaction from the players in front of our own fans.
Watford go into this game having lost just one of their last six away games, although Saints have lost just one of six at home. On paper this has all the makings of a draw, but our relative league positions do show that Watford remain favourites, painful as it is to say.
Saints have cult hero Ostlund returning from injury to challenge Crewe man of the match Chris Baird for the right back slot. Worryingly playmaker Djamel Belmadi is still out with his injured Achilles and needs to impress with his contract running out at the end of the season.
As ever Marian Pahars looked to have returned to fitness in the reserves with two goals, only to miss training on Thursday with illness. He really needs to be playing and impressing on Monday night with time running out on his contract. He should recover in time for a place on the bench.
Nathan Dyer played the full game, plus extra time for the youth team, so will not start on Monday night, meaning Burley could persevere with Madsen at right midfield and Blackstock alongside Rasiak up front. At left midfield it will be a fight between local boy Surman and Polish international Kosowski who is gradually returning to match fitness.
Predicted line-up:
Smith
Ostlund, Higginbotham, Lundekvam, Brennan
Madsen, Wright, Chaplow, Kosowski
Blackstock, Rasiak
Subs: Miller, Pahars, Baird, Jones, Surman
Predicted result:
Saints 1 Watford 1 (or Saints 5 Watford 0)