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Paul Merson says there is only one good thing about Southampton

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Paul Merson answers questions during Gillette Soccer Saturday Live with Jeff Stelling on March 19, 2012 at the Bournemouth International Centre in ...
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Southampton have made an underwhelming start to their Premier League campaign, despite Sunday’s fine victory.

Ex footballer Paul Merson enjoying  day two of the Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse on March 11, 2015 in Cheltenham, England.

Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson was harsh in his assessment of the Saints, when writing his regular column for Sky Sports, insisting that there is only one thing that they are good at – defending.

Southampton were magnificent against Everton on Sunday, running out as comfortable 4-1 winners, and it was only the second time that they have scored more than one goal in a match since August.

Mauricio Pellegrino was appointed as manager at St Mary’s in the summer, and the Saints fans expected to see a more exciting brand of football than they were forced to endure under Claude Puel’s reign.

Southampton's Argentinian manager Mauricio Pellegrino shouts instructions to his players from the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and...

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That has not necessarily proven to be the case, however, with just 13 goals scored in the 13 Premier League games they have played so far this term.

And Merson highlighted how defending is still Southampton’s only real asset, when writing his regular column for Sky Sports:

Paul Merson (l) and Phil Thompson answer questions during Gillette Soccer Saturday Live with Jeff Stelling on March 19, 2012 at the Bournemouth International Centre in Bournemouth, England.

“I thought Southampton were good against Everton and the one thing they are is good at the back, and on Sunday they scored goals. But Man City are just relentless and even on Sunday they just kept going and going and going and in the end they just nicked the win. So I am going to go 3-0.”

The south coast outfit face the unenviable task of trying to stop Pep Guardiola’s rampant Manchester City side at the Etihad tonight, and anything other than a defeat would be seen as a job well done by Pellegrino’s men.

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