RUSSELL MARTIN INSISITS SOUTHAMPTON WON’T BE SIDETRACKED BY LIVERPOOL FA CUP TIE

Southampton manager Russell Martin has insisted his high-flying team will not allow their upcoming FA Cup tie at Liverpool to derail their promotion push. Saints’ 3-0 victory over Watford in a fourth-round replay on Tuesday secured a glamour trip to the Premier League title-chasers on February 28. However, with the club currently battling to win back their place in the top flight, Martin has assured Southampton fans the players understand where their priorities lie. “It will be exciting,” Martin told BBC Radio Solent. “We have a lot of games between now and then so it won’t be a focus for a while. We have so many games between now and then to focus on, but we can all really look forward to it.” While progress in the FA Cup is a bonus, Southampton’s main aim this season is to climb back into the Premier League at the first time of asking. Martin initially struggled to get his players to adapt to his style of play, but a 21-game unbeaten run in the Championship has fired them up to second in the table. They are currently 11 points adrift of leaders Leicester City, while Leeds United are one point behind in third place. However, Saints have a game in hand on each of their promotion rivals. The turnaround in Southampton’s fortunes this season has been remarkable, particularly given the early teething problems they suffered under Martin. Four consecutive defeats during September had many fans questioning whether he was the right man for the job, but things have gone swimmingly since then. Martin’s possession-based approach and man-management skills have worked wonders at a club that has had little to cheer about in recent seasons. He has restored confidence in a squad that had its soul ripped out last season, and instilled belief that they can finish in one of the two automatic promotion spots. Saints still have to visit Leicester and Leeds before the end of the campaign, which means they will need to do things the hard way to regain their Premier League place. Despite this, several online bookmakers slightly favour Southampton over Leeds in the race to grab second place behind Leicester at the end of the season. They have plenty of winnable-looking fixtures to come ahead of their trip to Liverpool – a factor which could aid their chances of springing a surprise at Anfield. The timing of the game could work in Southampton’s favour, with Liverpool scheduled to face Chelsea in the League Cup final just three days earlier. Manager Jurgen Klopp will likely rotate his squad for the FA Cup tie, which could improve Southampton’s chances of making further progress in the competition. First-choice goalkeeper Alisson is expected to feature against Southampton, with Republic of Ireland international Caoimhin Kelleher likely to be in goal for the final against Chelsea. That will give Kelleher’s Irish teammate Gavin Bazunu the opportunity to see how he matches up against one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Bazunu has been a standout performer for Southampton this season and he will be eager to keep Liverpool’s array of attacking options at bay. The Irish international has kept nine clean sheets in 29 appearances this term – a statistic which sports bettors in his homeland may be keen to latch onto. The top betting apps in Ireland are sure to be inundated with wagers on a game which could be hugely entertaining given the talent on show in both teams. Martin has urged Bazunu and his Southampton teammates to embrace the occasion against opponents he has plenty of respect for. “The biggest test for us will be to go there and be the team we want to be,” Martin added. “We’re not going to change anything – it’ll be a brilliant challenge.” “It is a great place to play football and to play against one of the best managers in the world in his last season there will be amazing.”