Bugger.
Better concentrate on getting free kicks just outside the opponents penalty area for Vestergaard to header in or JWP to belt a few more into the onion bag then.
think Walcott could be key with this 
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Iâve noticed he does fall over quite a lot tbf 
When it comes to team selection, Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl asks himself two questions.
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Which 11 players are going to win the game?
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Who has been training the hardest?
Nathan Redmond found out before the Aston Villa game on Sunday that he had failed to make the grade. He was consigned to a role on the bench, with Theo Walcott starting instead of him. It should be said that there is no issue between the club and the player behind the scenes.
Regardless of how you view the decision, it was bold from Hasenhuttl. It would have been easy for him to stick with Redmond, especially as Southampton had won three of their previous four games.
But the manager was brave and confident enough to go with a different player, and it worked. This is exactly why Walcott was signed on a season-long loan from Everton in September.
The former Arsenal and England forward not only provides cover in attack but will also push the others around him to up their performance. And if Redmond doesnât see this as a kick up the backside, then his spell on the sidelines could be extended.
Hasenhuttl doesnât care about what players have done in the past, he is only focused on the here and now. Redmond has been working with the Austrian long enough to realise this. In fact, the 26-year-old has more experience than most in this department.
When Southampton appointed the former RB Leipzig boss just under two years ago, he held individual meetings with the whole squad, pointing out how they can improve.
He explained to Redmond he was spending too much time in the âtoilet seat positionâ â meaning effectively standing still. Tough love worked then, and the expectation is that it will prove successful again.
Nobody is suggesting the former Norwich star is slacking in training. Far from it. Walcott could be working at 100 per cent, with Redmond operating at 99 per cent, and for Southamptonâs manager that one per cent makes all the difference. Would he love a team who all train like James Ward-Prowse day in day out? Absolutely. Is that possible? Probably not.
Southampton supporters have been longing for Redmond to be pushed in a way that he hasnât been in recent seasons. He was handed a new four-year contract in August 2019, keeping him at St Maryâs until at least 2023.
This came off the back of being named the clubâs player of the season for 2018-19, when he scored nine goals in all competitions. Injuries hampered his chances of improving on that number last term, but he still managed to net five times in 37 games.
In the four Premier League fixtures heâs featured in this season, Redmond has managed just one shot on target from five attempts. By his own high standards, heâll know this isnât good enough.
Hasenhuttl said it wasnât an easy decision to drop the attacker when explaining his reasoning to Sky Sports before Sunday afternoonâs match, although did add that heâd be more concerned if he didnât have an alternative.
But how does Redmond force his way back into the team now Walcott has moved ahead of him in the pecking order?
He is no stranger to responding to a setback: Once upon a time, he used to be booed by Southamptonâs supporters. The following season, they voted him their player of the year.
Whether Redmond bounces back straight away will depend on whether Danny Ings is available to play against Newcastle United on Friday night. The striker hobbled off the pitch against Villa with his latest knee injury but the initial scans didnât show any signs of serious damage.
Southampton will be in no mood whatsoever to rush him back for the fixture against Steve Bruceâs side, though. That could open the door to a quick return to Hasenhuttlâs starting XI for Redmond, as Walcott is versatile enough to play up front and vacate the number 10 role.
But that isnât guaranteed. Moussa Djenepo was named on the bench at Villa, indicating he had recovered from a minor injury. If Ings is unavailable on Friday, it will come down to the two questions outlined at the start of this column.
Youâd expect Redmond to be flying in training this week, letting his football do the talking. Thatâs certainly the reaction Hasenhuttl will be hoping for. He will want to see the extra one per cent that led to him being dropped for Walcott.
Supporters are desperate to see the winger in full flow again, dribbling at defenders, and proving he can be a valuable cog in Southamptonâs interchangeable attack. The player theyâve been watching recently has been a shell of his former self.
Redmond hasnât looked confident on the ball and is yet to create a goal for any of his team-mates this season. There were eyebrows raised when he was awarded man of the match by Sky following the win over Everton 10 days ago. He was, arguably, the clubâs least effective player in that game.
Walcottâs arrival should provide an important boost, and how Redmond responds this week will no doubt shape Hasenhuttlâs thoughts going forward.
I suppose a hint of a silver lining is that this has happened just before the two week break. And itâs not his dodgy knee apparently. Small mercies and all that!
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Yeah. Does anyone know if Yan Valery is fit?
Iâm guessing Valery RB KWP on left is less damaging to our set up than JWP at LB & Diallo starting
Anything other than Stephenâs at full Back basically
He was a tad rusty at the weekend and Iâm being generous there.
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There is always the option of Djenepo at left back. That experiment worked well last season⌠
Halloween was last Sunday
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Sensible fella.
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I love the fact that Saints can take the piss out of themselves
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Good lad
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What a season it has been so far for Southampton and Danny Ings.
The Saints have marched into the Premier Leagueâs top four, helped by the five goals of in-form striker Ings, who has been rated by you as the player of the season so far.
Taking the averages of scores from BBC Sportâs Player Rater, four members of Ralph Hasenhuttlâs side feature in the overall top 10, with Southampton players appearing in each positional category too.
Of course this just means our players will be touted around to the âbiggerâ clubs during the next transfer window and beyondâŚ
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Terrific news. With no Saints players in the squad I will no longer feel compelled to watch these dreadfully dull games where Southgate refuses to play a left footed player and insists on rivalling the genius ideology of Tony Pulis by fielding 9 central defenders against mediocre opposition.
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