Saints edge through: 5 big takeaways from a sloppy Carabao Cup night

Southampton made hard work of Northampton in the First Round of the Carabao Cup at Sixfields on Tuesday night. Here are our 5 big takeaways.
Northampton Town v Southampton - Carabao Cup
Northampton Town v Southampton - Carabao Cup | Pete Norton/GettyImages
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Tyrese Fornah, Damion Downs
Northampton Town v Southampton - Carabao Cup | Pete Norton/GettyImages

#2 - Damion Downs badly needs a goal to settle him down

It's an obvious thing to say but Downs needs a goal more than anybody else on the team. Having missed two absolute sitters: one in the Wrexham match and another on Tuesday at Northampton, the US striker just needs one to go in.

There is no doubt that Downs can take a chance. The way he did so in the pre-season friendly against Espanyol showed that he can be clinical in certain situations.

There were as many positives as negatives about Downs' performance on Tuesday night. At times, he dropped deep to link up the play like an experienced number nine. While he was not always on the same wavelength as the players around him, Downs looks like he can grow into the role.

However, his inability to convert the simplest of chances could undermine his confidence and raise doubts among fans.