Shane Long has been explaining why his partnership with Danny Ings has caught the eye in the past fortnight.
The Republic of Ireland international spoke to The Daily Echo about his relationship with Southampton’s top goalscorer, who has five strikes to his name in as many of his recent matches.
Ings has been tried and tested alongside various forwards throughout the season, but Ralph Hasenhuttl has deployed Long alongside him in the fixtures against Norwich City and Newcastle United.
The 32-year-old is clearly happy with how they are working as a pair and said:
The first thing Danny does when he wins the ball back is look for me and vice versa.
He’s a goalscorer and I throw myself about up front to help make those chances for him.
I know if I do get the ball to him in the box he can stick it in the net. Hopefully, over time, I’ll back him up with goals as well.
It’s the start of something that could be very fruitful for the team as a whole.
Read Southampton’s verdict
Che Adams hasn’t looked great next to Ings, while Michael Obafemi has had his moments, playing the top scorer in a couple of times with expertly-executed through balls.
However, Long has done a good job next to him, and it seems Hasenhuttl values his work out of possession when he presses from the front.
It looks likely that the forward will remain in the starting line-up for the crucial match against West Ham, and forcing the Hammers’ shaky defenders into errors could be a wise approach.
