Southampton were set for failure after Will Still decision, it must not be repeated vs Middlesbrough

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Southampton boss Will Still made one tactical slip-up in the defeat against Hull City that set them up for misery.

It has been a difficult start to life at Southampton for Will Still, who only has one Championship win to his name so far.

This weekend saw Southampton lose to Hull City, where the Saints maintained the majority of possession, but showed very little regarding attacking output.

Hull City had previously notched just one point in their previous three, but looked comfortable against Southampton, with Still’s side looking fragile in defence.

It was no surprise to see Hull City boss Sergej Jakirovic target Southampton on the counter-attack, something that was made easy for the Tigers due to one bizarre tactical decision by Still.

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Will Still made a major error by using Ryan Manning vs Hull City

Southampton defender Ryan Manning has been one of the few top performers for the Saints this season, having notably proven to carry an attacking threat.

Manning has a tendency to pick up an advanced position, meaning that he is able to join in the Southampton attacks, but in the defeat to Hull City, it proved to be a hindrance.

Will Still decided to set up with a back four against the Tigers, and with Manning bombing forward, it left Southampton far more open at the back.

This was the cause of John Lundstram’s goal, with Manning not being able to stop Lewie Coyle’s lofted cross in the build-up.

Via SofaScore, Manning’s average position saw him notch more touches of the ball in the opposition half, meaning that with every turnover of the ball, Hull City could capitalise.

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Will Still must revert to playing a back five with Southampton

While Southampton did not look too shaky in the first outing for a back-four formation in the derby against Portsmouth, it was a completely different story at the MKM Stadium.

The progressive position of Southampton’s full-backs leaves Jack Stephens and Taylor Harwood-Bellis both stranded with the task of facing a barrage of attacks, and that cannot be sustainable.

When Will Still utilised his previous three-at-the-back formation, Southampton had more cover at the back, giving Ryan Manning the licence to go forward, while Shea Charles could then sit deep.

The defeat to Hull City should prove to be a major wake-up call for Still, who needs to rethink his defensive set-up.