Leicester City 1-2 Southampton: Three Match Takeaway Thoughts

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LEICESTER, ENGLAND – JANUARY 11: Danny Ings celebrates with teammate Nathan Redmond of Southampton following the Premier League match between Leicester City and Southampton FC at The King Power Stadium on January 11, 2020 in Leicester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) /

Ings is just a goal machine but others are starting to join in the fun…

There is no doubting Danny Ings is in the form of his life and Saints fans are loving every moment of it. Not since Rickie Lambert has there been such a fan favourite, nor such adulation directed towards one player. His infectious enthusiasm, unshakeable work ethic and unerring consistency in front of goal are a holy trinity well suited to the Saintly cause.

The game at Leicester looked destined not to be his game, with Kasper Schmeichel making a handful of smart saves and the bar denying Ings twice. Yet enter Che Adams into the fray and moments later, the young striker released his colleague through on goal. Ings didn’t need asking twice and he coolly dispatched a toe poke through the on rushing keeper’s legs to register his 14th goal of the league campaign.

One has to go back to Jay Rodriquez’s tally of 15 goals in 2013/14 to find a Saints striker this prolific. That season was cut cruelly short for Rodriquez on the eve of the World Cup in Brazil. Ings and Southampton fans alike will be desperate for history not to repeat itself in that regard.

What is pleasing is that others are contributing goals after an overdependence on their in form striker. Armstrong scored against the Foxes with a deflected effort, a goal earned after some attractive build up play and a neat dummy from James Ward-Prowse. The latter has also scored in recent weeks along with Obafemi, Redmond, Stephens and Bertrand who have all registered goals in the last month.

It is essential that if Southampton are to evolve further as a collective, there needs to be less reliance on Ings to be the catalyst for success. There is no lack of attacking talent for Hasenhuttl’s team with Long, Djenepo, Boufal, Redmond and Adams all capable of scoring. It has not yet happened for Adams but there has been no lack of effort on his behalf and one suspects that when does finally score, he will go on a run. His manager will be pleased with his composed play in the build up to the Southampton winner at Leicester with the assist likely to be one of the most valuable of the season.