Ralph Hasenhuttl has built a team that has got us into 4th place, now he needs to use the squad to keep us there as we go into a hectic period encompassing Xmas and the New Year.
We have now started a very hectic period of games, Sheffield United was the first of 6 in just 20 days, if we are to get through them and indeed the season it will be about using the squad.
I get that Ralph likes to work with a small section of players in his squad, but if we look at the bench yesterday , it could be said that Shane Long aside it is our strongest bench, but if we take the last six weeks the 6 outfield players sat on that bench have barely played, only Djenepo has any real game time.
In the 5 matches up to Sheffield United the game time was :
Stephens - 135 minutes
Salisu -0 minutes
Diallo - 13 minutes
Redmond - 37 minutes
N Lundulu - 1 minute
Djenepo - 270 minutes
Of the 6 on the bench only Stephens & Djenepo have started games in the previous 5 games before Sunday, & Stephens two appearances came right at the start of the run when he replaced the injured Bednarek at half time against Aston Villa and then deputised for the also injured Ryan Bertrand the following week.
So if we are to not only get through the next two games , but the two afterwards at Fulham and then at home to West Ham, we will have to use the squad a little bit more.
Ralph has rarely used a tactical substitution in any of this period, virtually all the changes outside of the last 10 minutes have been down to injuries, the rest have been about running the clock down.
The only substitutions that I can think of where we did make a tactical change was Shane Long on for Djenepo after 72 minutes against Manchester United and then Ings for Djenepo again at half time at Brighton.
We need to use the squad more tactically as well as to give players a rest.
A friend of mine was saying before the Aston Villa game that with Danny Ings importance to us he should be used sparingly, once a game is won then he should be taken off, this game home to roost in that game, at 4-1 up Ings should have been safely on the bench and Shane Long on at least 10 -15 minutes before he was injured in the 85th minute.
Likewise yesterday, at 2-0 up with 20 minutes to go, Ings should have been off, the game was won and we have two more games coming up in the space of 6 days, the striker is back from injury and needs to be used sparingly till he has his fitness back.
When Che Adams was hoiked off on 85 minutes why was it not Ings ? He got injured in the last 5 against Villa it could have happened again.
If we are going to stay up there with the top sides then we have to have a squad and that squad needs to be ready and sharp.
A good core team wins matches, but without a good squad you don't win titles or cups or for that matter qualify for Europe, it is the squad players who gain those extra points that might have been lost when injuries and suspensions strike
Saints can stay the course, this is a strange season and this article is not in any way intended to be negative towards Ralph Hasenhuttl who has worked miracles since he came to this club and hopefully he will continue to do so.
But as the autumn of last season showed, even Ralph is still learning about how tough the Premier League is and is still revamping his coaching set up, we are still a work in progress and that means looking at the areas that we can improve on.