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Cape Town - Southampton face an FA Cup third-round replay against Ipswich Town on Wednesday after being held to a 1-1 draw last week. Although manager Ronald Koeman admits that the cup is not their priority, the Dutchman says his team are brimming with confidence ahead of the clash.
Both sides are third in their respective divisions, with the Saints behind only Manchester City and Chelsea in the Premier League, while Ipswich are just a point off the top of a two-way tie in the Championship.
Big wins against Arsenal and Manchester United either side of the first leg stalemate have given Southampton belief in Champions League qualification, while Mick McCarthy is chasing promotion to the top flight.
Because both sides know that league success is the primary objective, the cup tie might be viewed as a distraction. Although Koeman admits that he would rather not have an additional fixture, success in the competition offers a great chance to bring some silverware to the south coast.
"Of course, we would like to go on in the FA Cup, but that is not the most important thing," Football411 quotes Koeman as saying. "The most important thing is the league."
"The United win will bring a lot of confidence to the players. We know this will be a tough game and I wasn't happy about the replay because we already play a lot. It is a difficult week but if the players are feeling well and they have good freshness, then I won't change a lot."
Both sides are third in their respective divisions, with the Saints behind only Manchester City and Chelsea in the Premier League, while Ipswich are just a point off the top of a two-way tie in the Championship.
Big wins against Arsenal and Manchester United either side of the first leg stalemate have given Southampton belief in Champions League qualification, while Mick McCarthy is chasing promotion to the top flight.
Because both sides know that league success is the primary objective, the cup tie might be viewed as a distraction. Although Koeman admits that he would rather not have an additional fixture, success in the competition offers a great chance to bring some silverware to the south coast.
"Of course, we would like to go on in the FA Cup, but that is not the most important thing," Football411 quotes Koeman as saying. "The most important thing is the league."
"The United win will bring a lot of confidence to the players. We know this will be a tough game and I wasn't happy about the replay because we already play a lot. It is a difficult week but if the players are feeling well and they have good freshness, then I won't change a lot."
