A big big game for Tonda Eckert, Southampton FC & Sport Republic as they go into this game having failed to win in the last 6 League games, taking just 3 points in the process, but they go into this game taking a big gamble.

Speak to any Saints supporter and they will tell you what the problem is at St Mary's and whilst all can't be completely right, most come up with at least part of the issue.

My take as most who read this will know is a lack of leadership and organisation at the back, something that has been there for at least the past 8 years.

But as it stands in this game, we have so far weakened the squad in the transfer window and not strengthened it, we have sold Ronnie Edwards to QPR & loaned out Gavin Bazunu to Stoke City, weakened our squad and strengthened that of our rivals.

So we go into this game gambling, in goal we are likely to have a keeper in Daniel Peretz who does not inspire confidence, virtually no experience outside of Israel and having barely played in the last 2 1/2 years, his debut at Doncaster was also hardly inspiring.

Gavin Bazunu might not have been the best keeper in the division, but he had experience in it and had been a big part of our promotion two years ago, we knew what we were getting.

The loss of Edwards on one hand is not great, he barely played, just 11 games totalling 665 minutes, but on the other hand he seemed to have attributes that the other central defenders lacked, pace & passing ability being two of them.

His record when he played wasn't bad, he was a regular under Will Still and of the 8 games he started we lost just 3, the final 3 of Will Still's reign and under Eckert he has managed just 2 sub appearances totalling 7 minutes.

Tonda has tried many different back 3 formations, but never really Edwards and our loss is QPR's gain.

So the big question on the lips of Southampton supporters is what sort of side will the manager put out.

I would be very surprised if Daniel Peretz was not in goal, we seemed to have nailed our colours on the mast on this one and it is a big gamble, if he is not good enough, then we are up the creek and never mind the paddle, we wont even have a canoe.

But the real issue for most fans is the make up of the defence, the general opinion is a back 3 isn't working and we need to switch to a back four.

My theory regarding this is that we stuck with a back three due to a lack of height, most teams have two bit central defenders and a big striker, as we have lacked a big striker under Tonda, if we go to a back four, then we will only have two tall players and we will be very vulnerable at corners and set pieces.

Although we have Ross Stewart back, I would be very surprised if we risked starting him just yet, so if we play four at the back against Hull, we could be vulnerable.

But I do expect us to switch to that formation, if that is the case then the best partnership in the centre would be Taylor Harwood-Bellis & Joshua Quarshie.

At right back Elias Jelert if fit would be my choice, but if he isn't then there is the first issue for Eckert, we are back to playing a central defender in that position.

Likewise the left hand side, the two choices are Ryan Manning or Welington and neither have excelled, although I would give Manning the nod, he has been the better of the two and in fairness to them both, they are not wing backs, they are traditional style full backs.

So if we do play a back four, who makes up the other six in the outfield.

I would say a central pairing of Caspar Jander & Flynn Downes with Tom Fellows & Leo Scienza out wide, with Finn Azaz playing just behind Adam Armstrong.

All five were the star turns in that winning run under Eckert, they have not become bad players overnight, we have to get the system playing to their strengths.

That is Tonda Eckert's big task, get a system that plays to the players strengths, I didn't think that the back three formation was a bad thing, but we did not have the contrasting central defenders who would compliment each other to make it work, or perhaps to the point, we barely used Ronnie Edwards & Joshua Quarshie enough, who between them had the skills lacking in the other three players who were the first choices most weeks.

For me what will be a big factor going forward will be when Shea Charles returns to first team action, he is a big miss.

Hull arrive in 7th place, a run of 4 wins & a draw in December propelled them up the table, however, in the last 3 games they have faltered a little, a good win at Middlesbrough being bookmarked between a 2-2 draw at Sheffield Wednesday and a 1-0 defeat at home to Stoke City.

We sit 8 points behind them and now we go into a week where the direction of this season will be well and truly decided. Betting sites UK are offering odds of 13/10 for the win, 27/10 draw and 9/5 for the Saints to lose.

We start on Saturday with Hull, win that and we will be back up and running, although lose it and we will be at least 10 points off the play offs even if everyone else up there loses.

Likewise the game on Wednesday against Sheffield United, it is imperative that we win both of these games, if we do then we are moving up the table and gaining momentum for the trip to Portsmouth on Sunday week.

Our recent poor form means that we cannot afford to lose any of these games, ideally we would win all 3, but if that doesn't happen, to stay in the promotion race we can only afford to drop 2 points, we have to win 2 and draw 1 as a minimum.

As I said at the start, The club have taken a big gamble this week, they have weakened the squad without strengthening it first, especially the goalkeeping department, they are gambling that Peretz is up to the task when there is no track record to show that he is, if he isn't then what next !

By the afternoon of Sunday 25th January we will know where the future of this season lies and whether it can still be a good ending or whether revolution will be in the air in the fanbase.

All Photos Via Reuters