Saints had one of their worst performances under Ralph Hasenhuttl yesterday, losing 3-1 to Newcastle.
Here are five things we learned from the game:
1. Saints’ defence struggled to cope with the injuries:
With both Yan Valery and Jannik Vestergaard missing, Hasenhuttl was forced to tamper with his defence.
James Ward-Prowse went in at right back, with Jack Stephens alongside him.
This meant that Jan Bednarek had to move over to the left side where he didn’t look comfortable at all.
Newcastle targeted the right wing and were rewarded with two first-half goals, thanks to crosses from that flank.
2. There is still work to do:
A win yesterday would have all but secured Saints’ Premier League status for another season.
It’s likely they’ll still achieve that before the end of the campaign, but with every game that is lost, the threat of going down still looms.
They still have a five-point cushion over the drop zone and have a superior goal difference should it come down to the wire.
3. Fraser Forster back in the fold?
The exiled goalkeeper was called back into the squad for yesterday’s match.
After not making a Saints line-up since Boxing Day, December 2017, he found himself amongst the substitute’s bench.
And with the extent of Alex McCarthy’s injury not yet known, the 31-year-old could be a regular name on the team sheet until the end of the season.
4. Mario Lemina made his long-awaited comeback:
The Gabonese international hasn’t been seen in a Saints shirt since the defeat to Manchester City last December.
Lemina had to undergo minor surgery to his abdomen, which has seen him miss a large chunk of the season.
He came on at half time and made an immediate impact in the heart of the Saints midfield.
His goal got Hasenhuttl’s side back into the match and he almost equalised when his close-range shot went inches over the bar.
5. Hasenhuttl has decisions to make for the Watford trip on Tuesday:
There were some tired legs on the pitch at St. James’ Park yesterday.
And with this being a three-game week for Saints, Hasnehuttl may have to rotate against Watford to give his players a chance to rest.
Ward-Prowse had a long evening at right back, as did Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Danny Ings.
Hasenhuttl took Ings off during the second half and replaced him with Long, and it will be interesting to see if he starts with the latter at Vicarage Road.
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