West Ham 3-0 Southampton: Three key players
By Chris Hughes
Shane Long
Coming off the bench at half-time to replace an isolated Manolo Gabbiadini, Long put a shift in for the 45 minutes he was on the pitch – something he does each and every time he wears Southampton red.
The Irishman’s effort was in vain as the Hammers tightened up in the second period to hold on to their comfortable lead, but the effort he put in was better than a lot of those who played the full 90.
In just 45 minutes Long – who isn’t normally praised who his creative play – completed two key passes, the joint-most of any Saints player.
Much like McCarthy there isn’t a huge amount that can be praised about Long’s performance but when a lot of the Saints’ most reliable players had dismal afternoons, the forward deserves credit.