FIVE - POINT PLAN

1 SHARE THE GOALS

Southampton actually bettered their xg last season ( by 1.72), which is troubling. Ings and Adams scored 21 goals between them, and the set- piece wizard that is Ward- Prowse contributed eight, but neither Walcott, Nathan Redmond nor Moussa Djenepo managed more than three, which is hardly ideal.

2 THROW THE FULL- BACKS FORWARD

The comparisons between Hasenhuttl and Jurgen Klopp are clear, but Kloppo would never settle for just three assists from his full- backs in a season. As well as Walker- Peters performed last campaign, better supply from wide areas – Saints barely cross at all – would help their predatory strikers no end. Finding the right replacement for Leicester- bound Ryan Bertrand is a high priority.

3 ADD SOME NUMBERS

Although Southampton used 29 players in 2020- 21, the second- most in the league, 10 of them were aged 22 or below, and only two made more than a couple of league starts. Injuries hit hard, and Hasenhuttl simply didn’t have the reinforcements to keep his team competitive. When Walker- Peters was sidelined for seven games at the start of 2021, Southampton lost six of them.

4 TOUGHEN UP TO TIGHTEN UP

Only West Bromwich Albion conceded more goals, and even allowing for the Old Trafford inflation, Southampton’s fragility cost them, as they repeatedly squandered leads. They won only half of the 18 matches in which they scored the first goal, so it’s vital they harden that soft centre.

5 FORMULATE A PLAN B

So idiosyncratic is Ralph Hasenhuttl’s high- octane approach, it’s tricky to find alternatives if it fails. But there are problems with the Austrian’s masterplan. Saints rarely look like getting back into games in which they’re trailing; they don’t really win enough corners for a team with Ward- Prowse and Jannik Vestergaard in tandem; and their pressing game is admirable but draining. Solutions are needed to make this side more resolute.