Southampton have struggled since returning to the Premier League this season.
After Russell Martin guided Southampton to promotion via the Championship play-offs, it has been far from plan sailing in the top flight.
Southampton are winless in the Premier League and have just one point to show for their efforts after seven matches.
The pressure is building on Martin and he knows the next four league fixtures will be critical to not just Southampton’s survival chances but his own employment.
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The international break is always a good time to reflect and take stock, so with that in mind here is a look at the two highest-rated, and two lowest-rated players in the Premier League so far this season (who’ve played two games or more).
Aaron Ramsdale and Tyler Dibling are the highest-rated Southampton players
Southampton broke the bank to secure the £25 million signing of Aaron Ramsdale on Deadline Day and he has been impressive since joining.
It has been difficult for Ramsdale as he has conceded ten goals in four games but on an individual level he has been very good and has made some remarkable stops.
According to Sofascore, Ramsdale has been the Saints’ best player in the Premier League this season with a score of 7.04.
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Perhaps unsurprisingly, Tyler Dibling and Yukinari Sugawara are joint second, with both players scoring 6.97.
18-year-old Dibling has been a revelation since coming into the starting XI against Manchester United and looks a real prospect, whilst Sugawara has made the right-back position his own since signing for £6 million from AZ Alkmaar in the summer.
Jack Stephens and Lesley Ugochukwu Southampton’s lowest-rated players
Given Southampton sit 19th in the Premier League, it is clear to see a number of players have not been performing.
Jack Stephens is club captain and really let himself down by not only getting a three-match ban for a challenge on Alejandro Garnacho but then seeing that extended to five games for abusive language aimed at the officials.
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Stephens still has one game left on that ban but it may be a while before he earns a place in the starting lineup given he is Southampton’s worst performer this season with a score of 6.40.
Saints fans were excited when the club completed a loan deal for Chelsea midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu but will be feeling a little underwhelmed by what the have seen from the Frenchman so far.
After a decent first league showing in the defeat to Manchester United, Ugochukwu has struggled to recreate that kind of performance and was especially poor in the 3-1 loss at Bournemouth.
Ugochukwu is rated as the second worst performer with a score of 6.34, 0.01 behind Adam Armstrong and Cameron Archer.