Southampton suffered their second defeat of the Premier League season on Saturday as Russell Martin’s side slumped to a disappointing 1-0 loss against Nottingham Forest at St Mary’s.
It was the same scoreline that saw Southampton lose against Newcastle United on the opening day but – whilst that was largely seen as a performance to give optimism – the Nottingham Forest defeat showed it could be a long season.
The jump up in quality from the Championship to the Premier League is a big one and Southampton have a squad of players who Russell Martin knows are relatively unproven at this level.
You could argue the only player currently available who has really proved himself to be capable of consistent high performance in England’s top flight is Kyle Walker-Peters and even he could leave in the remaining days of the transfer window.
The manner of the defeat against Forest was a concerning one and Saints fans will now be left desperately hoping for an improved display away at Brentford next time out.
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Southampton lack of creativity highlighted in Nottingham Forest defeat
In truth, Southampton were really poor against Forest and mustered just five shots in the 90 minutes, with one on target and an xG of just 0.14.
Forest, meanwhile, had 23 shots with eight on target – one of which was Morgan Gibbs-White’s winner – and registered an xG of 2.45.
Tellingly, Southampton did not create a single big chance in the match, whilst Forest managed six despite having far less possession than Martin’s side.
This is a real cause for concern for the Southampton boss and one that he has looked to address with the signing of 20-year-old attacking midfielder Mateus Fernandes; the Portugal youth international who recently arrived from Sporting making his debut off the bench on Saturday.
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However, it was a player already in Martin’s ranks coming into the season who could provide an unlikely solution to the lack of creativity.
Tyler Dibling could resolve Southampton chance-creating problems
18-year-old attacking midfielder Tyler Dibling played the last 15 minutes of the Forest defeat and looked far and away the brightest Southampton player despite his short cameo.
The youngster was expected to be allowed to leave the Saints on loan this summer to gain invaluable senior experience, but Dibling’s performances in pre-season were impossible for Martin to ignore and he now looks set to play a part this campaign.
The midfielder looked full of confidence as he tried to provide the spark for his side whilst those around him looked bereft of ideas against a resolute Forest defence.
Speaking after the game, Martin praised the impact Dibling made, as he told the Daily Echo: “Tyler was brilliant. He was our biggest attacking threat. He was on the pitch for 15 minutes and he’s 18.
“We need a bit more of that mentality, that freedom to go and create, but he’s a really special talent.”
The Saints manager then went on to calm expectations on a player so young, whilst admitting his side may need more incomings to help with the lack of creativity, adding: “We just have to take our time with him. But, yeah, we probably need a little bit of help in that area, I would suggest.”
Whilst Southampton fans will undoubtedly want to see this addressed, Dibling showed that he could well be the man to make a difference in the Premier League this season despite being just 18.