Three takeaways from Southampton v Middlesbrough

Yesterday Southampton returned to winning ways with a 2-1 win over an already-relegated Middlesbrough, with Nathan Redmond and Jay Rodriguez on the score-sheet.

Saturday’s win was a long time coming for the Saints, as three losses and two goalless draws had seen the side fail to win for over a month.

Going into the must-win game Claude Puel’s men had not scored in three matches, with the side having not found the net since Ryan Bertrand’s injury-time goal against Chelsea.

However a change of formation and personnel saw the side return to winning ways, despite a limp and uneventful first 40 minutes.

Shane Long then then crossed it into his strike-partner Rodriguez who swept home with a half-volley, before the scorer then turned provider for Nathan Redmond in the second half.

The 23-year-old received the ball out wide from J-Rod, and used his quick feet to dance into the box before curling it into the top corner.

The win saw means the Saints’ hopes of finishing eighth are still alive with two games to go, but it’d rely on West Brom to slip up in some way, shape or form before the end of the campaign.

Saints Marching now takes a look at three takeaways that can be drawn from Southampton’s win yesterday afternoon.