SAINTS boss Russell Martin is expecting a "real contrast" of styles when his side take on Andoni Iraola's AFC Bournemouth next week.
Saints make their shortest trip of the Premier League season to Vitality Stadium in front of the Sky Sports cameras on Monday for an 8pm kick-off.
The Cherries play an aggressive high-press style under Spaniard Iraola, averaging 43 per cent possession to Southampton's 60 per cent, and attempting the third-most long balls in the division while Saints have tried the fewest.
The Dorset outfit recorded their best-ever finish with 48 points landing them 12th in the Premier League last campaign under Iroala, who will serve a touchline ban during Monday's fixture for yellow card accumulation.
Martin, speaking ahead of the match, said: "It's a real contrast of beliefs on the game or whatever you want to call it, game model, all that stuff.
"Andoni has done a brilliant job, a really brilliant job, but it took him some time in the same way it's taken us a bit of time to adapt and adjust.
"They had a bumpy start under him, Andoni, and then they've been brilliant ever since. They've not looked back and they've just kept building on it and building on it.
"They have real clarity, which gives them so much strength, and they've recruited really well. We have to go there and try and bring the game that we want.
"It is two very different styles and two very different teams. What they'll be looking for from the game is probably very different to what we'll be looking for.
"We need to try and control as much of it as we possibly can, which is not easy against Bournemouth. Not easy at all. I'm looking forward to it."
Saints will remain without Will Smallbone and Kamaldeen Sulemana, who are the only two absentees Martin now has to contend with.
Smallbone, who has been out since the end of August, remains sidelined with a hamstring injury, whilst Kamaldeen is yet to feature this season.
"We have no one coming back that we didn’t expect," Martin said. "Ross Stewart is back now and will come onto the pitch, Kamaldeen is still a bit away from being with us.
"Will is still out for another week or two. Maybe on the other side of the international break or maybe the Arsenal game, but this week, no."
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