In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Carlton Palmer talked about his former club Southampton and the dreadful run of form they have been in, prior to their win against basement club Sheffield United on Saturday.
The Saints had lost eight of their previous nine Premier League fixtures before heading to Bramall Lane. It has left them in the bottom half of the table and far from safety, leaving manager Ralph Hasenhuttl with plenty of work to do before the season ends.
During this disappointing period for the club, Hasenhuttl’s men have also lost 9-0 to Manchester United. This, of course, comes after their defeat to Leicester City by the same scoreline in the previous campaign.
Will Ings stay at Southampton?
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Undoubtedly, Southampton are in a difficult moment, with Palmer admitting that he would be worried if he was in the St Mary’s dugout. The retired England international told FFC:
“There’s obviously something going on there that needs to be addressed. They’ve conceded a lot of points from winning positions and that can just be a mental thing that needs to be addressed.
“But certainly, if you get beat 9-0, and it’s not just happened once, it’s happened twice, I’d be worried about that if I was a manager, I really would. In this day and age, you shouldn’t be getting done 9-0.”
Indeed, Southampton’s form is worrying. However, assessing their upcoming fixtures, there is reason for Hasenhuttl’s team to be optimistic.
Following their game against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, the Saints have a run of matches versus Brighton, Burnley, West Brom and Crystal Palace — teams all around them.
Before, however, they face a tough trip to the Etihad to take on runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City in what is likely to be another difficult day out for the Saints.