Southampton fans would love to cheer on this striker instead of Divin Mubama

Southampton will need to be more switched on against Swansea City tonight to secure a victory.

Against Lincoln City, they struggled to get going, with a Welington screamer thankfully securing a 1-1 draw.

The Imps would have felt aggrieved that they didn't win the game, arguably, as they amassed 19 shots on the Saints goal, totalling a weighty 2.27 xG.

To add context, Tonda Eckert and Co. left Sincil Bank with only 0.77 xG accumulated, as they were bailed out by the Brazilian's moment of one-off brilliance.

Eckert will need Cyle Larin to be back to his free-flowing best to gain maximum points against the early league leaders, with the Brampton Bagsman reduced to half chances here and there against the determined Lincolnshire hosts.

The German will also want a lot more from Divin Mubama, if he were to be thrown into the game tonight late on, as he has struggled during recent cameos.

Mubama's struggles off the bench

The 21-year-old has now gone four straight games without a goal at his new employers after sealing a loan move to St. Mary's from parent side Manchester City.

He has just failed to come on and be aggressive in his last couple of cameo appearances, away from scoring a crucial late goal against Stoke City last month, with his 28 minute outing at Sincil Bank - in particular - being panned by restless Southampton fans.

One fan on social media would brand his late introduction into the breathless match as being "absolutely awful", as he managed just one shot, and won just two out of ten duels, as the Lincoln defenders comfortably restricted the below-par number 28.

Against Birmingham City, as well, he would fail to be physically imposing, with only two duels won on that occasion, too, alongside zero shots being registered on target.

Mubama's Championship numbers since his Stoke goal:

He isn't quite the devastating impact player Southampton fans thought they were getting, with Mubama a clear downgrade - at this moment in time - on Ross Stewart.

Stewart will be out injured when the table toppers butt heads with Eckert and Co. this evening, though, so he isn't pulling up trees at the Swansea.com Stadium, either.

In an alternate reality, Saints fans would love to be cheering on this striker, who was associated with the South Coast titans at youth level, and is now firing home goals for fun for a Championship rival.

Saints fans would love to cheer on this striker instead

Southampton have offloaded plenty of attackers before they could fully realise their potential on the South Coast.

Samuel Amo-Ameyaw is one stinging example in this regard, as he was only ever afforded 12 irregular first team appearances, before being moved onto Strasbourg.

He has two Ligue 1 goals next to his name already this campaign, from three matches, with Eckert perhaps better placed to utilise Amo-Ameyaw over a wantaway Samuel Edozie, if the one-time Saints academy product was still situated at St. Mary's.

He would definitely throw Jimmy-Jay Morgan into contests over a misfiring Mubama, if he had the tricky West Bromwich Albion attacker up his sleeve.

Alas, the 20-year-old never made a single senior appearance for the South Coast giants, before he was snapped up by Chelsea.

He has made his way back to being in close proximity to his ex-club, with five goals and two assists amassed from seven blistering Baggies appearances, as James Morrison's men attempt to win promotion, at Southampton's expense.

Unlike Mubama, who has stuttered across recent matchdays, Morgan has stood out as a decisive matchwinner for the Midlands outfit, with a tense game against Watford last time out decided by the electric 20-year-old sneaking the ball over the line.

While West Brom fans continue to wax lyrical about the tenacity Morgan shows in spades, the Saints masses, and Eckert alike, will want a lot more from Mubama, as he has seriously struggled in recent weeks.

There's no time like the present, however, to turn around your negative narrative, with a goal against Swansea later on certainly getting more disgruntled fans back on side.

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