Southampton 2-5 Spurs: Three Match Takeaway Thoughts

Signings – and patience – are needed

The lack of options on the bench became more alarming as Saints got further through their loss on Sunday.

Defensively-minded Oriol Romeu was subbed off because of an earlier yellow card but was replaced by Will Smallbone – an attack-minded player who is unable to provide the robust challenges that are needed in that area of the pitch at the moment.

With just James Ward-Prowse and Oriol Romeu as the experienced options for this role, Saints need at least one midfield addition before the transfer window closes.

Sofiane Boufal was normally available from the bench last season but is now looking likely to leave the club. Therefore, another creative option needs to be signed too, with negotiations between Saints and Sporting Lisbon said to be going on for Jovane Cabral.

Two or three more additions will give Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad a much more rounded look, although we will also need to be patient as fans as we watch signings bed in and current players get back up to speed with the technical aspects of the team setup.