‘We have to be ready’ – Brighton have to be prepared for Southampton’s threats says Vidošić | OneFootball

Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Dario Vidošić says that his side must be switched on to opponents Southampton’s attacking threats this weekend.

The Seagulls play host to The Saints at Broadfield Stadium in the Subway Women’s League Cup group stage on Sunday afternoon.

When speaking to the media in the pre-match press conference, Brighton & Hove Albion boss Vidošić said that Southampton will be motivated and that his side will need to be switched on if they are to be successful.

“They’re good,” Vidošić said. “They are well-organised and like to play a little more direct. They’re dangerous in transition and they are going to be up for it; they have an opportunity to play us and we have to be ready.

“They’ll be highly-motivated, they’ve got the week to prepare. When a team from below plays a team from above, it’s always difficult. If you look across any competition, there are upsets happening everywhere. If teams are not ready, surprises can happen. If we are not ready or mentally prepared, it’ll be a tough game because they can hurt you.”

Going on to discuss Southampton’s attacking threats further, Vidošić highlighted the pace that The Saints possess when progressing with the ball.

He said “They’re quite direct. They get forward, there’s speed in the frontline and when they break, they break with many numbers. We will have to be alert that they can transition and hurt you very quickly and expect crosses coming into the box.

“We have to make sure that we are on top of that and we control it. If we play our way, it’ll make it very difficult for them as well. We want to pin them back as much as we possibly can, stop their transitions, stop their run but we have to be aware of it as well.”

Brighton & Hove Albion lost their latest Subway Women’s League Cup game 2-1 at West Ham United. Vidošić said that the club’s desire is to still compete and win the tournament.

He said “We’ve always wanted to go in, compete and win. It’s a tournament, it’s a trophy, so we respect the competition.

“Unfortunately, last week we had a few injuries, so we had to really change the squad midweek [against West Ham]. We want to give other players the opportunity to have a game and have them ready just in case of scenarios if they do occur; we have got as many players in rhythm that have played games who are comfortable in the system.

“It’s another opportunity on Sunday for us to put pressure on West Ham who are in first place and it’s in their control.”

Brighton & Hove Albion’s Subway Women’s League Cup fixture against Southampton kicks-off at 2pm on Sunday afternoon. Tickets remain on-sale and can be purchased by clicking here.