A comprehensive win for Saints to get their first home win of the season under their belts and push themselves into the top 10 albeit only on a temporary basis, but we should not get too carried away yet.
Saints looked good in beating West Bromwich Albion this afternoon, in the first half they were totally dominant and should have perhaps been 2 or 3 goals up, but had to rely on a goal 4 minutes before the break from Moussa Djenepo to give them a half time lead.
Ironically Djenepo looked the least of Saints players in that half, too often he would not make the runs needed and only looked to contribute with the ball at his feet, when that happened in the 41st minute he took his goal with composure.
All around the team we looked good, although a word of caution in that West Brom looked woeful and rarely ventured forward.
They couldn't be any worse in the 2nd half and pushed forward more, however it was only from dead ball situations that they looked dangerous, on several occasions they delivered a ball that we failed to defend and McCarthy did not come and deal with, luckily on each occasion their man could not seem to get anything on it, otherwise the result might have been different.
But going forward we looked good and after weathering the early storm we got back to a slick passing game and when Oriol Romeu volleyed home in the 69th minute it knocked the stuffing out of the Baggies.
This was a team performance but several deserve mentions.
At the back Kyle Walker Peters was calm and composed and has quick feet, he rarely gives the ball away and uses it well and was a thread going forward.
In the centre of midfield Oriol Romeu looked immense, tough in the tackle winning the ball and using it well, alongside him James Ward Prowse not only got stuck in when needed but passed the ball well and delivered from dead ball situations.
Up front Che Adams deserves a special mention, he has formed a great partnership with Danny Ings and plays a vital contribution in winning balls when he has no right to and using it to create chances for others, like Shane Long who replaced him in the final minutes he is a player whose contribution is often 2 or 3 moves before a goal is scored, something that does not get recorded, but is still vital.
Overall Saints are still a work in progress and it is exciting to think that with the arrival of Diallo we still have two new signings yet to come in and also the likes of Obafemi, Smallbone as well as Jan Valery who sat this one out on the bench.
Like last season if we are to look towards a top 10 finish we have to put the bottom sides away and we have done that against Burnley and now West Brom, last season we beat the relegated sides at home, but in each game it was a struggle, this was a win in which we were never truly stretched.
Even during a short 15 minute spell early in the 2nd half when West Brom tried to get up a head of steam we looked good, we dominated in all departments, but here is the word of caution, good sides will find our soft underbelly, we have to sort it out, we still need another central defender, put an experienced leader in that position and we will be a team to reckon with.
So a good days work for Saints, 10th in the table and now a solid start to the season points wise, but like last season, it is still a question of what if, we gifted Palace their win on the opening weekend and we collapsed against Spurs when we were near to going in at the break 1-0 up, it could have and really should have been a lot better.