It was another disappointing day at the office the other day for Southampton at the weekend.
The Saints loss 1-0 to West Ham, a side that had won just once in their last 11 matches before that clash, and they continue to find themselves in the bottom three of the table. After 17 matches, they have just 15 points to their name, and the match against Aston Villa, the outfit just above them in the table, on Saturday is now something of a six-pointer.
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In the aftermath of that disappointing defeat against the Hammers, Ralph Hasenhuttl admitted that the pressure was now beginning to crank up. He said: “It’s always like this if you don’t take points [because] then we are in the relegation zone and we want to come out of there. Everyone has pressure and I think it’s important that my job is to look on the game and separate from the result.”
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Indeed, the defeats are not stopping, and it means that something needs to change, and quick. It hasn’t all been terrible, though. There have been some positive moments, such as draws against Manchester United and Arsenal and back-to-back home victories against Watford and Norwich, but they have been far outweighed by the bad – that 9-0 loss against Leicester City will live long in the memory for all the wrong reasons.
Part of their troubles can be linked back to their summer business. Danny Ings was signed permanently, and he has proven to be a revelation with 11 goals in 19 matches, but Moussa Djenepo, Che Adams and Kevin Danso have not lived up to expectations. All aged 22 or under, this is the first season in the Premier League for all three players.
There is nothing wrong with bringing in younger players with an eye towards the future, but considering the south-coast side finished in 16th place last term, they could have done with some more experience of the English top tier to go with that vibrant youth. As it is, they also lost the likes of Fraser Forster, Steven Davis and Charlie Austin, and they didn’t replace their know-how.
With the transfer window just round the corner, Hasenhuttl may have the chance to rectify the errors made in the summer, and some older heads would not go amiss. If they fail to add to the squad with what is needed, the next few months may prove to be just as difficult.
Meanwhile, the 52-year-old boss says Southampton struggled with one thing against West Ham.
