Dusic

There are more problems than you suggest. After 3 games we startes with Shane Long up front, who has been proven beyond doubt to be not good enough. RB and CB are big weak areas but so is the whole attack. Who will score the 40+ goals needed for a passable season?

Southampton manager Mark Hughes:*"We were excellent first half. We got our noses in front with a fantastic goal from Ryan but if we managed that game better, we could have come away with something. "At that point, I thought the only winner was us, but momentum shifted and that was a really hammer blow to lose at the end." https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45230640 Nothing of note this week.

Three games in and we are back to Shane Long up front. Something has gone wrong.

How many games has Hughes won at Saints? Must be a dire percentage. Better in press conferences than Puel and Pellegrino, but largely the same on the pitch. At least Puel had a clear style of play and was committed to it.

Imagine if we actually start with Long. FFS.

Hughes in the presser yesterday and interview on the OS going heavy about Leicester being a counter attack team. They definitely were a couple of years ago, but against United they seemed like a possession side, which we know is Puel's style. Slightly suprised at the comments tbh.

Wasn't Reed "good enough" in one game (Everton) when we had nobody else rather than ever being a regular? Re Gallagher, similar story. He played under Poch when Lambert was injured and we had nobody else. He never set the world alight playing for us and has had loan spells of varying degrees of success from dreadful (Mk Dons), average (Birmingham), quite good (Blackburn). Nowhere near as good as players like Vydra or Afobe who we would see as beneath us.

Based on Moisin its quite astonishing that better sides than Burnley and Watford were not in for JWP.

Why is comparing Redmond and JWP even a thing? They are in the team for different reasons and have a totally different role. Of course a player like Redmond will lose the ball more than JWP, just like Ozil would more than Xhaka, Sanchez more than Fred, Sane more than Fernandinho.

Definitely a logical move. Why Hesketh hasn't been out on loan is beyond me. Literally learn nothing about him in a watered down U23 league, especially in the second tier of it.

Worked hard to get fit before pre season (others could take note) and has looked good so far this season, playing a bit more direct. The only player we have capable of beating a man and I think he has a good shot on him as well and could score goals when confidence is high. A must pick for me. Agree? Fans should get behind him because he is a massively key player for us.

Winning is a habit and so, unfortunately, is not winning. Its quite hard to change that quickly IMO. An absolute key is to get as many of our new signings in the starting XI. Adds a freshness and will automatically lift the fans for a couple of games. Don't see much chance of Hughes doing more than this season though.

Didnt look like Moi trained with the team today, must be a doubt for this game.

Expected more of a plan this season after a full pre season but he still doesn't know the best formation or personnel which disappoints me. No obvious style to the team. Gets an easier ride because he is a better operatornin press conferences than the last two Managers but it won't last forever.

I thought it would be good to have a thread showing Mark Hughes reaction to our performances: win, lose or draw. To ensure full representation I have taken the comments in full from the BBC Sport website. Might be interesting if any themes emerge across the season and to see if people agree or disagree with how the Gaffer has seen the game. ---------------- 18th Aug - Everton (1-2) For the most part we did OK, I thought we had the better general play and chances created. Unfortunately we found ourselves two down. It was not a particularly poor first half and the second half we got a goal back which was important. It was a very stop-start game and the referee allowed it to be fragmented." On goalscorer Danny Ings:*"I am delighted he is off the mark and get the momentum building. His transition to be a Saints player will be very smooth." On a late challenge by Pickford on Ings:*"The keeper is lucky to stay on, he carries on with his boot. I am surprised the referee did not see that or it warrant any further punishment. It was a little bit like his [the referee's] performance." ----------- 12th Aug - Burnley (1-1) "I was a bit concerned that Burnley had more competitive games albeit a tough trip in Europe. "We didn't get them on the back foot and they had control in the first half and caused us problems. We changed it in the second half and controlled it. We had any number of chances to win the game. "You saw Danny's clever play today, linking and retaining possession. He allowed us to move further up the field and that augurs well. We're looking forward to getting him up to speed." ------------ Personally agree with Burnley comments but not the ref blaming from yesterday - he referee IMO had no outcome on the result.

Brighton started at a tempo that we rarely find at home. No messing at the back, direct but neat and looking to create chances in wide areas. Making defenders defend, which many cannot do very well. Noticeably good work rate and pressing. Don't see them going down. So far Cardiff, Hudds, Newcastle, Wolves and Saints look the poorest sides to me. All lack goals above all else.

Will include all matches, win, lose and draw to see what Hughes makes of our performances over the season and his reasoning for the result to see if there are themes that emerge across the season which may indicate areas of strength or weakness in the team. So far: 12th Aug - Burnley (0-0) Burnley sharper due to EL matches played. Got up the pitch and were better second half. 18th Aug- Everton (1-2) Referee allowed them too many free kicks and we didn't defend set pieces well enough. Hard to get back into the game as they went down easily in the second half whenever there was contact. Low quality game overall. -------------------------------------------- Must say that the ref stuff yesterday was very over the top. If anything we could have had a red card and for me the ref made zero difference to us losing the game and blaming him is pretty poor. I hope Hughes isnt one of the serial ref bemoaners but history suggests otherwise.

Updated list: July 21st - Derby County (0-3) Reason: Derby further ahead than us in pre season/ tough schedule for Chins trip 4th Aug - Borussia Monchengladbach (0-3) Reason: Hot conditions/three games in a week 12th Aug - Burnley (0-0) Reason: Burnley sharper due to EL matches played 18th Aug- Everton (1-2) Reason: Referee allowed them too many free kicks and we didn't defend set pieces well enough. Hard to get back into the game as they went down easily in the second half whenever there was contact. Low quality game overall.

Very poor and quite worrying. We can't pass the ball and keep possession in attack. The Manager has no idea of his best team or formation despite a full pre season. Poor subs also lost us momentum. More strikers doesn't mean more likely to create and score. Utterly woeful in defence. Ings the only positive today. Need to get a settled side and system. No chance of top 10 as Hughes stated is the aim.

Vestergaard travlled (is in the twitter video) but is ill according to Adam Leitch. If so, a bit odd to travel. JWP has earned a recall somehow, but good to see a back 4 and will be interesting how we setup with Ings and Austin. Tosun header inevitable though.

Hughes won't care, he just wants the most players to choose from as he can get, which he stated yesterday. Long is in the difficult situation of being too **** over a long period for any PL team to want him and too expensive for any Championship team to think he is worth buying or loaning, certainly when you factor in what you get for that money, i.e no guarentee of goals.

I thought Blackmore did a great job. You have to remember that he is balancing needing to get at the right areas but also protect his future access to the club leadership. Reed was keen to point out that Carillo is still a Saints player and therefore was hardly likely to slate him, and Hughes is too experienced to be drawn into that as well. Overall for me, Ings seems like a great character and clearly they picked him to placate the crowd somewhat. Hughes experienced at these things and says the right things to please the crowd without adding much of interest. Reed looked pained the whole time as if he has been locked in a room with Charlie Austin in full on lad banter mode for an hour beforehand. Krueger - can't trust anyone who cannot say Premier League correctly.

Reed, unsuprisingly, looks like he would rather be elsewhere!

If Moi doesn't make it as sounds likely then I think we will go with 3 CBs again due to a lack of attacking wide players, unless Armstrong could play on the opposite side to Redmond.

Exactly. Most people don't actuslly read it but just react to the thread title. Personally I think all the excuses sonfsr have been good, mostly valid ones (aside from maybe BM game). Over the season will be good to see what comes up, i.e many managers say "we started slowly", "not enough intensity" etc but rarely say the team was outplayed or I got the subs wrong. Purely observational.