JIMMY Case believes Saints should play their usual attacking game against free-scoring Premier League leaders Liverpool.

Case has watched Liverpool regularly this season as a Radio Merseyside pundit and is looking forward to the short journey from his Southampton home to St Mary’s on Saturday.

Liverpool have scored ten goals in their last two games and have only lost once all season, but Case reckons Saints would be wrong to adopt a defensive approach.

He warned: “Liverpool would play every day if they could, goals are coming from all angles and it’s so difficult against them.

“You can try and play defensively against them but it only takes one goal for the game plan to have to change.”

“For Southampton it will be about doing what they do best and getting on the front foot. They will have more of a chance if they play an open game because they have a great defence. [Jose] Fonte and [Virgil] Van Dijk have been excellent and they’ve always had decent full backs.”

Case believes Sadio Mane has been a big reason for Liverpool’s improvement and that he has gone up a level since his £34m move from Saints in the summer.

“He’s been what they need, someone who can go past players from a standing start,” explained the former Saints midfielder.

“He contributes so much with that extreme pace and variation. That in itself means defenders have to double up or even put three on him, taking defenders away from the likes of [Philippe] Coutinho, [Adam] Lallana and [Roberto] Firmino.

“I saw Mane for Southampton, where he and Tadic played either side of Pelle. But Saints tended to sit back a little at 2-0 up.

“The three of them would go missing, there was no real urgency and that’s where they could come unstuck.

“At Southampton everyone was looking to Mane for a spark but the pressure’s off him at Liverpool because the spark can come from a number of players.

“They had a similar way of playing under Brendon Rodgers when they had Luis Suarez but now they have more players backing each other up on the same wavelength.

“The openness of the forward line has made them a joy to watch. The way Coutinho, Lallana and Firmino have been complementing each other as a collective, in addition to Mane, has provided a real enjoyment factor.”

Lallana may miss his first game of the season on Saturday after limping off against Spain, soon after giving England the lead in the 2-2 draw at Wembley on Wednesday night.

But the ex-Saint has been another key factor in Liverpool’s resurgence.

“Lallana could overdo it under Rodgers, he would do a few stopovers too many and let the midfield get back into position,” explained Case. “He’s more direct under Klopp and that’s unsettling defences.”

Case believes Liverpool can go one better than their runners-up finish under Brendan Rodgers three seasons ago and claim their first title since winning the old first division in 1990.

But they have a weakness.

“James Milner has been exceptional at left-back but we keep giving goals away, it’s like we have to score three to make sure of the game. he said.

“They look in good shape for a title challenge but if their defence was as good as the forward line they would have a very good chance.”