SAINTS manager Ralph Hasenhuttl emphasises how vital it is to have a bench populated with options following the Manchester United game, and insisted: “It’s the moments like this that you see it’s important.”

The Austrian gaffer has often attributed some of the poor results that Saints endured during the second-half of the 2020-21 Premier League campaign to the lack of depth and injury crisis within the squad.

Of course, that’s not to say performances couldn’t have been better but Saints were heading into top-flight games with substitute benches made almost entirely of B team youngsters.

It’s a different picture now, though, with the likes of Kyle Walker-Peters, Jan Bednarek, Ibrahima Diallo and Nathan Tella among those the manager can turn to when needed.

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The options allowed Hasenhuttl to change the shape and formation of his team in the Red Devils clash, but also just to be able to rely on quality personnel – which he attributes as hugely important.

Speaking after the game, he said: “Yes it’s the moments like this that you see it’s important you have experience on the bench, it’s important you have alternatives on the bench.

“They are coming in and they are quite lively, we have now in the full-back positions much more options with Kyle (Walker-Peters) and even Yan Valery is there for an opportunity.

Daily Echo: Ibrahima Diallo has featured from the bench in both of Saints' opening fixtures (Pic: Stuart Martin)Ibrahima Diallo has featured from the bench in both of Saints' opening fixtures (Pic: Stuart Martin)

“This is important in this shape. It’s a pity we can’t make five changes because up front I have also quality to bring, so those two strikers had to play 90 minutes, but they did it.”

Asked about whether he and his squad had thought about the last time Saints faced United – where a young, depleted side were defeated 9-0 – he replied: “The last match against Manchester United was never a topic in our minds.

“The fans were back and you have to wake them up, in the end it was good for us and I think we did with the way we played, in the last 20 minutes.

“Everybody thought after they equalised that we would go on the back foot and lose this game so for us it was good and important to show that we can be competitive to the end.

“First point is very important and now we can look forward.”