Crystal Palace 0-2 Southampton 01/09/18: 3 Key Takeaways

Striking partnership

The SaintsFC hashtag on Twitter is full of best elevens, with many disagreements about both formation and lineup. But one of the most contested areas is the front line. Saturday’s Long and Ings partnership will only raise further questions about who should start up front.

When the team sheet was released most fans reacted negatively, particularly to the inclusion of Hoedt and Long. But it can’t be denied that the Irish international caused real problems for the Crystal Palace defence.

The best example of this was how, without touching the ball, he was vital in the build up to the opening goal. As the deep cross looped in, it was Long’s activity that distracted both centre backs and allowed Ings to ghost behind them and calmly slot the ball home. I wonder if Gabbiadini or Austin would have found themselves in Long’s position at that moment.

Hughes has four relatively different striking options available to him (five, if you include Sam Gallagher), and the reality should be that he analyses the opposition then picks the best partnership for each match.

Long’s lack of goals will always be a concern, and the fitness of Danny Ings and Charlie Austin remains an unknown quantity. But each player does offer something particular to the team, and that shouldn’t be overlooked.

The challenges will be keeping four forwards happy in a rotation system, finding goals from other areas of the team to support the front line, and making the right selections for each fixture.

Fans ultimately want to see the team win, and if using the right options at the right time can make that happen, then we should embrace that rotation and get behind each match day team.