Long says cool heads will be key if Saints want to keep run going

SHANE LONG believes second-placed Southampton have the perfect temperament to go the distance and secure Champions League football this season.

The Saints travel to Aston Villa tomorrow night, one point ahead of champions Manchester City in third, and the Ireland international provided an insight into the confidence among Ronald Koeman’s players.

‘Nothing is impossible in football,’ he said. ‘We’re a very level-headed bunch of lads and we don’t get too far ahead of ourselves.

‘It’s away from home and Villa are still a big, big club. In their last few matches, they’ve had bad results, but they started the season well.

‘They were second themselves at one point and things can change very quickly, so we’ll be ready for a big game,’ said Long.

They will have to be prepared for the fixtures that are on the way. Southampton face Manchester City and United, as well as Arsenal in the coming weeks, but Long remains calm.

‘We’re going into every game full of confidence,’ he continued. ‘We’ve a good squad of players in every position and when you get on a run like we are, you just go into every game thinking “three points here”.

‘That confidence thing is a great factor, but we’ve a tough month of fixtures coming up now, a lot of big games against teams around us in the table, but we won’t be short of confidence going into those games.

‘The longer we keep this run going the better.’