Coventry City manager Micky Adams is looking to tomorrow's return to one of his many old clubs to get his side's away form on the up again.
Only three teams in the Championship have clocked up fewer than the Sky Blues' two away league wins this season. And Adams is well aware that his side's form on their travels must improve dramatically if they are to sustain any serious late push for the play-offs.
Of the 47 points they have picked up to stand just eight points shy of the play-off pack in 11th place, only 12 have been acquired on the road.
Admittedly, the ten away defeats they have suffered have been matched by their ten wins at the Ricoh Arena- a tally bettered only by the division's top five.
Although he would back his first choice front four of Dele Adebola, Stern John, James Scowcroft and Gary McShef-frey against most attacks in the division, Adams is wondering whether his team should resort to a slightly more defensive approach away from home.
"We are what we are at home because we are slightly cavalier," said Adams. "We give the four front lads the chance to spread out.
"Away from home, that is perhaps slightly dangerous and that is possibly why we are being found out but we will come up with something."
Adams' hand is forced to a certain extent tomorrow by the ten-booking suspension which rules out McSheffrey for one more game. And, with Ady Williams available again after a one-game ban, the Coventry boss has a decision to make in central defence.
But Adams said: "Whatever happens, it's not going to be too far away from the 11 that started last weekend. Southampton would expect us to stick with a winning team but we have to get a formula and group of players together to get an away win."
George Burley's Saints are not expected to alter greatly from the team who thumped Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 last weekend.
That was only Burley's second league win since starting two days before Christmas and probably ended any fears of a second successive relegation.
But they still stand six places and seven points worse off than Coventry in the table, which did not look likely when a side then managed by Harry Redknapp became the visitors to the Ricoh for a night game in late August and prised a deserved point from a 1-1 draw.
