Southampton’s opening day defeat at the hands of Burnley highlighted a number of key issues that Ralph Hasenhuttl will need to address quickly if the club want to achieve their ambitions this season.
After battling against relegation last time out, the Saints are eager to improve and push for a possible top-10 finish.
Burnley is by no means the easiest of places to start your campaign, but a positive display and three points would have been a real statement of intent from the Saints.
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There were certainly some positives to take from the first half at Turf Moor, despite many feeling that Southampton were lucky to go in level at half time.
However, it was in the second half where the game fell apart for Hasenhuttl’s side.
Three goals in the space of 12 minutes was enough to put Burnley out of reach, with Ashley Barnes scoring twice and Johann Berg Gudmundsson rounding off proceedings with a well-taken goal from the right.
Despite lining up with a five-man defence, Hasehuttl will certainly be worried about the frailties that were on display. Barnes’ opening goal came merely from a hopeful, searching pass from inside the Burnley half that left the Southampton defence bamboozled before he slotted home past Angus Gunn.
Failing to learn from their previous mistake, the second goal was just as avoidable from a Southampton perspective. Erik Pieters registered his second assist after he was not challenged out wide and sent in a curling cross for Barnes to smash home.
There are lessons to be learned for Southampton after the opening day and if they continue to defend in such a lacklustre manner, there could be bigger problems ahead.
