ALTHOUGH it’s still early in the season, Saturday’s draw with Wolves said plenty about the manager and players.

Following the comprehensive 4-1 defeat to Chelsea, Ralph Hasenhuttl was right to question the commitment of his side due to such a poor display.

When this is highlighted by a boss it can tend to be the beginning of a slippery slope – especially when things aren’t going the club’s way.

Three successive Premier League defeats and being called out by Hasenhuttl was the backdrop to a battling display at Wolves.

The players looked like they had the bit between their teeth again.

Danny Ings led the line, chasing down every ball, with Nathan Redmond looking like the attacking threat he was towards the back end of last season.

In midfield, James Ward-Prowse, Oriol Romeu and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg all did their part in an intense display.

The defence, which still looked shaky at times, were much better playing as a five, compared to when the Austrian goes with four at the back.

Following the match, Hasenhuttl praised his players for responding to his stinging criticism prior to the international break.

However, it could have easily gone the other way for the manager.

A lot of players don’t like being called out in public by their boss which is also when performance levels continue to drop as it shows they’ve lost interest in what their boss is telling them.

But that can’t be said of Hasenhuttl and his side.

They were put to work during the international break, intense sessions were rewarded with a weekend off, allowing the players to take their mind off football for a couple of days.

And they repaid him with a draw at Wolves.

Yes, it’s only a point but, when they’ve been hard to come by of late, it was needed.

Hasenhuttl will need to continue to nurture and grow his side’s confidence over the next few weeks as the games before November’s international break have the ability to define their season.