Manolo Gabbiadini can win us the EFL Cup - Southampton keeper Fraser Forster

FRASER FORSTER is praying Italian hotshot Manolo Gabbiadini can save him from being put on the spot at Wembley.

Posted Friday, February 24, 2017 by Dailystar.co.uk

Manolo Gabbiadini cost Southampton £17m from Napoli

The Southampton goalkeeper has been preparing for Sunday's EFL Cup final with Manchester United by brushing up on his penalty saving technique.

England star Forster has a dreadful record having failed to save any of the seven spot-kicks he has faced for Saints, including one from Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Saints' 2-0 defeat at United in August.

"It's a tough one because keepers do research and then strikers know we do research and then you can send each other insane trying to bluff each other and over-thinking it," he said.

"At the end of the day, you just have to make up your mind, go with your gut and hope he goes the same way that you go."

Forster hopes penalties won't be needed to win Saints their first major trophy in 41 years thanks to Gabbiadini.

The striker has been in sensational form since joining Southampton from Napoli in a £17m deal on transfer deadline day - helping himself to three goals in two Premier League games.

And he has warned United counterpart David de Gea to expect his fingers to be stinging.

Forster said: "He hits the ball pretty hard!

"His second goal against Sunderland was an unbelievable turn and finish and just a fantastic bit of quality and the one against West Ham he absolutely hammered it past the keeper.

"It normally takes players a while to settle in but he seems to have hit the ground running.

"To score the goals he has have really helped us so if he can keep doing that between now and the end of the season he'll be a fantastic addition to the squad."

Saints have beaten United on two of their last three visits to Old Trafford.

But Forster says United are a different animal under Mourinho.

He said: "Obviously Manchester United are an amazing club with world-class players in every position in the team.

"We've been there the last two years and picked up results but it's a different team now under Mourinho.

"He's a world-class manager and look at the run they're on now. It's just important that we focus and prepare as well as we can and implement our game plan."