What Will Still has done to get his Southampton FC players up for big Portsmouth clash | OneFootball

The Saints have slightly tweaked their preparations for Sunday's South Coast derby

Southampton boss Will Still has revealed how his players have received "help" in order to understand the importance of Sunday's South Coast derby with Portsmouth at St. Mary's.

The Saints' second relegation from the Premier League in three seasons and Pompey's consolidation in the Championship put the bitter feud back on the agenda in terms of league action for the first time since April 2012, during a period when the landscape of the two historic rivals was extremely different.

Still has overseen a major squad transformation since being appointed as Ivan Juric's permanent successor prior to the conclusion of last season, with an abundance of high-profile names and big earners shifted off the books on a temporary or permanent basis, although there also weren't masses of new faces to come through the door in this part of Hampshire.

It has also been a mixed start on the pitch in terms of results too, with the 32-year-old's solitary league victory in charge thus far coming through the dramatic comeback victory against newly-promoted Wrexham on the opening day of the season, with draws at Ipswich Town and Watford and a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Stoke City following up the aforementioned success.

As is so often the case though, what has gone before counts for very little in encounters such as this, with the Saints boss revealing in his pre-match media conference that staff at the club have enlisted the help of former players in the build-up to Sunday's lunchtime kick-off.

Will Still reveals ex-Southampton players have been in training ahead of Portsmouth FC clash at St Mary's

With a first league meeting between the South Coast rivals in 13 years also being the first overall meeting since an EFL Cup Third Round tie almost six years ago, it is a completely new experience to the vast majority of players for both clubs, regardless of if they have featured in other derby matches across the country.

As this fixture has been a more regular occurence in previous generations, Still revealed to local publication, the Daily Echo, that his squad have had talks with many Saints icons in the lead-up to the game in a bid to shake off any on-the-day nerves or surprises.

"I think with the help of the people at the club, we've set up various things so that the players understand what it means," Still stated.

"We've got ex-players coming in, we've got people coming to paint the picture of what this is, what it means to everyone, but also for the newcomers in the club and in the league," he added.

I think we're putting the right things in the right place to make sure everyone gets it. It means more to the supporters, but it's got to mean more to us as a team as well.

Still also believes that the added incentive of facing off against John Mousinho's well-drilled outfit should help cut out the handful of defensive frailties previously shown by his rearguard.

"We want to stop conceding these poor, rubbish goals that we've conceded in the first couple of games. So it's a good moment to play a derby; it needs to mean something extra," he continued.

"It needs to mean a bit more, we know that. Hopefully, the players are all fully aware of where we're going and what this means this weekend."

Will Still will hope pre-match Southampton FC tactics will prevail against Portsmouth

It goes without saying that this is an opportunity for both sides to make an early-season statement after mixed starts, although the Blues find themselves two points and five places above Saints heading into the fifth league encounter of a gruelling season.

This move has been deployed by several other managers and head coaches in the past when preparing for derby matches, but as well as being a reminder for his players, it will only increase Still's understanding of the fixture's importance having only recently taken charge of the club.

It is also a new experience for Mousinho, who, like his opposite number, has earned praise for being one of the Championship's most tactically astute bosses.

Whilst this also counts for very little as anything can happen due to the high levels of passion and animosity that will create a spectacular atmosphere, Southampton fans will be buoyed by the fact they have won this fixture 35 times in comparison to Pompey's record of 21 successes, dating back to the first derby in April 1900.