After successive defeats, should Southampton revert to a back four?

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Ralph Hasenhuttl was hugely successful with a 4-2-2-2 formation with RB Leipzig but could the same work with the Saints?

Southampton have once again started the season in terrible fashion, losing both their games so far. A 3-0 humiliation against Burnley followed by a hard-fought 2-1 defeat against Liverpool last weekend has left them in 19th place.

Saints struggled with goals last season scoring just 45 goals throughout the season. Having scored just one in two games so far, the same troubles might come back to haunt them but could Ralph Hasenhuttl employ a familiar formation that he used with his former club RB Leipzig to help Southampton get back to winning ways?

Hasenhuttl used an aggressive 4-2-2-2 formation where the front four worked relentlessly to win back possession. Long balls from the centre-halves to the forwards was a consistent feature in Leipzig’s game and the same could work very well with the Saints this season.

Timo Werner was Hasenhuttl’s trusted goal-scorer at Leipzig and, although the players he currently has at his disposal aren’t anywhere near as clinical as the German, they could still cause their opposition a ton of problems.

Che Adams and Danny Ings could form a very good partnership up front with Nathan Redmond and James Ward-Prowse playing the role of inside forwards in front of a double pivot of Oriol Romeu and Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg.

Yan Valery has been hugely impressive since he made his debut last season while Ryan Bertrand has enough experience to provide the right balance between attack and defence.

Choosing the perfect centre-half pairing will be a huge headache for the Saints boss but if he can get that right, he could potentially replicate what he did with Leipzig a few years ago.

The transition from a back three which has been a constant feature at the St. Mary’s since Hasenhuttl’s arrival will definitely not be easy but with results clearly not going their way in recent games, a change could prove to be hugely beneficial ahead of the long campaign.