Southampton: Lack of league draws is really costing Saints this season

There is no doubting that when they get it right, Southampton are a very entertaining team to watch under Ralph Hasenhuttl.

The style of pressing football that followed the Austrian from Germany over to England is highly suited to the Premier League and has produced some of Saints’ best results of recent times.

A great run of form over the Christmas period saw Saints climb out of trouble near the foot of the top-flight table and into a position of relative safety in comparison.

Since late January though, points have seemingly become much harder to secure for Hasenhuttl and his players.

The 1-0 loss to Newcastle on Saturday was their fifth loss in six games in all competitions, and they are perhaps fortunate that the gap between them and the bottom three remains at seven points.

Looking at the Premier League table does tell us something about Saints – they haven’t drawn enough games this campaign.

Just four of their 29 league fixtures this year have ended level, with 10 wins and 15 losses making up their other results since August.

More from Saints Marching

• Grading the Southampton Transfer Window Part 2: Arrivals
• Grading the Southampton Transfer Window Part 1: Departures
• It’s time to talk about Gavin Bazunu
• Rain clouds on the horizon? Southampton beat Plymouth Argyle
• A lament for Southampton legend James Ward-Prowse

Although fans would prefer wins over draws any day of the week, not losing creates a very successful season for a team and keeps them ticking along. A point from a game where a team hasn’t played to their full potential can be seen as a positive too.

Comparing Saints to teams higher up the league provides some context too.

Wolves and Sheffield United – two teams who have built their success on solid defensive foundations that have led to an ability to attack – sit in sixth and seventh respectively after brilliant campaigns so far.

They both have a similar amount of wins to Saints this season (10 and 11 so far) but sit so much higher in the table because of the games they have drawn – it’s notable that Saints have lost twice as many games as both teams.

Therefore, it is clear to see that Saints have been too easy to beat once an opposing side finds a way to overcome their pressing 4-2-2-2 system. They either get it right and comprehensively beat a team or see a fixture go the other way completely.

Turning three narrow recent losses against Burnley, West Ham and Newcastle – where they had worked hard to get or stay level – into draws would see just three points needed to reach the magic 40 mark which has never seen a top-flight team relegated.

With nine games to go until the end of the season, it is vital that Saints and Hasenhuttl find a way to stop surrendering all three points from a game and, in turn, get themselves over the line.