SAINTS boss Nathan Jones remained bullish about his ability to reverse his struggling side’s fortunes despite a tough start to life at St Mary’s, admitting that there are large problems to solve but ‘that’s why we’re here.’ After replacing Ralph Hasenhuttl just days ahead of the World Cup break, Jones watched Saints lose 3-1 at Anfield before having five weeks to work with his new squad. But the signs haven’t been overly convincing since Saints’ return to action, scraping past Lincoln City in the League Cup before getting swept aside by Brighton & Hove Albion in the new manager’s first home league game in charge. The Boxing Day defeat leaves Saints rock-bottom of the Premier League table after 16 games and Jones admitted that the issues won’t be solved ‘overnight.’
Nathan Jones said: “Well, we have to just work. We’ll evaluate, we’ll look, and we’ll work. We’ll hopefully pick a side that can defend better. One clean sheet in 16 isn’t good enough. If you keep three or four, then you’re sitting in a different position now. There would still be work to do but we’d be in a better position. So that’s what we have to do. We can’t dwell on anything. We know we’ve had defensive deficiencies and that’s not just individual, that’s as a team, a collective, and that’s why we’re here. With the greatest respect, if there wasn’t deficiencies, then we wouldn’t be here. Clubs only recruit a new manager for two reasons. Either they’re doing fantastically well and someone gets poached or they’re not doing well and someone loses their job and we’re in the latter. Problems are never solved overnight unless they are minor ones. It’s just work, work work, and people buying into everything. This is a decent group who want to learn. But we have to identify the problems, show them where we can be better, and then be better.”
Saints’ festive calendar continues on Saturday when they travel to West London to face Fulham at Craven Cottage. The Cottagers picked up where they left off before the World Cup, beating Crystal Palace 3-0 to go 9th in the Premier League table. Jones knows all about the threat Marco Silva’s side possess, having drawn 1-1 at home last season while Luton boss before watching his side get thrashed 7-0 in the reverse fixture.
Nathan Jones said: “They were the best side in the Championship last year. Which doesn’t guarantee you anything in the Premier League, but having that year to work and build means you’re better equipped when you do go back into the Premier League. They’re a good side, it will be a tough game.”
