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Southampton have not found their return to the Championship plain sailing, as they currently sit 15th in the division.
This is not the position the club or their fans will have hoped Southampton would be in after their opening five fixtures; however, it is early in the campaign.
A key reason behind the slow start is the fact that the players are getting used to the new style under Will Still and because of the several changes in personnel in the squad.
Creating partnerships and understanding where each player should be at any given time is key to success in the Championship, and Will Still has identified one pair that has struggled together so far, and it is key they improve as a duo.
Will Still believes the Flynn Downes and Shea Charles partnership needs to improve
Two of the brighter talents at Southampton are currently in the midfield in the shape of Flynn Downes and Shea Charles.
The pair are considered to be among the best midfield talents in the Championship and were thought to be a dream pairing; however, they have struggled to work together so far, and Will Still has provided a reason behind their poor form together this season.
Speaking to the Southern Daily Echo, he said: “The areas in which they receive the ball – I think they’ve been used to being played in and just bouncing it back and not turning and looking forward.
“Especially Flynn. So it’s getting them into areas where they can receive and actually look forward, rather than just play a set and keep possession in a really small space.
“It’s like you’re going to quit smoking; it takes a long time. Not that I smoke at all, but you know what I mean. It’s not going to happen overnight.”
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Will Still confident Southampton will be much improved against Hull City
Will Still believes that due to Southampton having more time to prepare for the Hull City game, they will be much improved this weekend.
Ahead of the South Coast Derby with Portsmouth, several of Southampton’s key players had been away on international duty, so they had not done much work on the training ground ahead of the match last weekend.
He said: “Hopefully a lot. We’d had sort of 48 hours.
“We had the Thursday session, where we couldn’t do a lot because you can’t. Then we had a quick session on the Saturday before the game, but you don’t really have time.
“You can explain it on a video, or you can show it on a board, but it doesn’t feel the same. We’ve had a full week this week where we’ve been through a lot.
“It’s a lot of information for them to sort of grasp and get hold of and move forward with, but there’s only one way that you get things right.”