Southampton vs Swansea City preview - Pelle: Saints can stay at top
Posted Sunday, February 01, 2015 by PA
Graziano Pelle believes Southampton's squad possesses the aptitude and attitude to maintain their top-four tilt.
After a summer of unparalleled upheaval at St Mary's, not even the most optimistic of fans could have foreseen them sitting third at this stage of the season.
Yet that is where Saints find themselves, sat proudly above all the players and staff that left in the summer, thanks to Ronald Koeman's nous and some wily additions.
Pelle, signed from Koeman's former club Feyenoord, was one of those acquisitions and believes this squad have the capabilities to continue this wonderful campaign.
"I believe a lot in the mentality of the players," Pelle said.
"We have to be realistic and see the players that we have - a lot of players. It's not just two players also. It is on the bench. We have big, big names.
"We have to be proud about ourselves and try to reach the best we can. Be realistic, but still try to reach.
"We are not afraid to be there on top. We just have to enjoy the moment and be focused to keep it."
Garry Monk admits Swansea's red card misery has left him bemused and he would "probably go mad" if he considered where his team would be without all the dismissals.
Swansea ended last weekend's FA Cup defeat at Blackburn with nine men as early baths for Kyle Bartley and Gylfi Sigurdsson took their number of red cards in all competitions to eight - the most of any Barclays Premier League club - although two of those reds were subsequently rescinded.
Statistics before this weekend's action revealed Swansea's foul count is among the lowest in the top flight with just six sides recording fewer and only Arsenal and Everton had suffered more fouls against them in the Premier League this season.
Yet ninth-placed Swansea have not once found themselves playing against 10 men and, ahead of Sunday's visit to Southampton, manager Monk insists his players are anything but a bunch of sinners.
"We're far from a dirty team and I don't think it tallies up," Monk said.
"Eight red cards is what it is but it's surprising really when you see those statistics.
"I think five of the reds were extremely harsh and we had two rescinded, but we've had reds when the first yellow has come from kicking the ball away.
"They are the most annoying because they cost you and it's silly. That's what has to be cut out and I've spoken to the players a lot about that.
"It is being wise enough to not give anyone an opportunity to give you a red card, but I don't think the number we've had tells a tale about us.
"If I thought about it too much and our season I'd probably go mad."
Monk expressed his displeasure with refereeing standards back in October and met referees' chief Mike Riley to discuss the bad decisions he felt Swansea had been getting.
His meeting with Riley came in the wake of a controversial 2-1 defeat at Stoke when he called referee Michael Oliver's decision to award a game-changing penalty as "disgusting".
Oliver will now take charge of a Swansea game for the first time since the Stoke row when Monk's men go to Southampton.
"We all know about Stoke but even then it had been a build up of a number of things," Monk said.
"You think it will be okay and even itself out but it clearly doesn't.
"I've said it all along we should be protected more than we have been but I'm not going to harp on about it.
"Everyone seems to think I want to talk about referees but it's only what people ask me.
"It's been like that all season and it's now at the point I can't worry about it."
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