GOALS SAINT THE ONLY TH-INGS
SOUTHAMPTON’S recruitment machine is in overdrive in a bid to replace striker Danny Ings, but manager Ralph Hasenhuttl says clean sheets are as important as goals.
The Saints conceded nine goals at Old Trafford last season and nine at home to Leicester the year before so it shouldn’t come as a big surprise that defending has been a focus of their pre-season.
Southampton finished 15th last season, 15 points above the drop zone, and 11th the season before. So there’s confidence that losing Ings to Aston Villa won’t send them tumbling down the table, especially if they succeed in signing Adam Armstrong from Blackburn.
Hasenhuttl said: “We are really working hard to get better as a team and getting
MANAGER: Ralph Hasenhuttl (right) BIG SIGNING: Romain Perraud £10.8m from Stade Brest KEY MAN: James Ward-Prowse (midfielder) VERDICT: Good enough to survive, wobbly enough to drop. Saints need a new, hot striker (and fast) after the shock £30m sale of Danny Ings to Villa. more clean sheets is the key to finishing higher in the Premier League table.”
The Austrian admits Southampton will miss Ings but has told the rest of the squad to step up. “If we want to be as successful offensively as we were in the past then we must split the goals between the whole team. If everybody scores two or three more goals we will be OK,” he said.
Southampton have already signed leftback Romain Perraud from Stade Brest for more than £10million, Chelsea youngster Valentino Livramento for £5m, and Theo Walcott on a permanent transfer following his loan from Everton.