Eight games into a league season in any division is often a good number of matches to assess where a team is at and what we can expect them to do.
We can already judge after the first eight games in the Premier League that Liverpool will have to do something rather spectacular to bottle their incredible lead, Manchester United could genuinely struggle to finish in the top-six, and Watford look like a shoo-in for relegation.
And then there’s Southampton.
Eight games in the Premier League season see the Saints sit in 17th place with just two wins heading into the second international break of the season, yet unlike Everton and Newcastle who both occupy 18th and 16th place respectably in the table, Saints fans don’t seem too fazed with the club placed this low in the table.
Whilst Toffee and the Magpie supporters launch campaigns to see their managers get the sack from their clubs, Ralph Hasenhuttl remains firmly the man for the job for Southampton and a figure supporters still rally behind despite this clearly poor start to the season. But, why?
One reason as to why Southampton seem to be a more positive side compared to the likes of Everton and Newcastle is because the Saints have come awfully close to getting wins and draws in games they were unable to get more than three points.
Against Liverpool, for example, Southampton managed just one less shot than the current Premier League leaders and had chances late on in the game to snatch a draw, and when Manchester United made the trip to St. Mary’s, Che Adams’ miss from an open goal denied the Saints all three points against the Red Devils.
Indeed, these near misses has offered fans hope that Southampton can get results, yet in football, what good is this belief when points fail to materialise?
The Saints have shown immense signs of promise this season, yet hopeful performances and glimpses of something great can only get the club so far, and following this international break, results need to pick up for Hasenhuttl before they find themselves in a hole that could be difficult to get out of.
