Just weeks after arriving at St Mary’s from Arsenal on deadline day, it already appeared as if Ainsley Maitland-Niles' Saints career was in trouble.

Following a forgettable debut off the bench in defeat at Wolves, Maitland-Niles was left out of the squad entirely for his side’s next trip to the Midlands a fortnight later where they were beaten 1-0 by Aston Villa.

READ MORE: The crucial and unorthodox roles of Hasenhuttl's wing-backs key to Arsenal draw

Speaking after the match, Ralph Hasenhuttl explained that “We have with Ainsley a lot of work to do also because he has to adapt to our game and this is something that takes time a little bit.”

Some were naturally concerned about what such a statement would mean for Maitland-Niles, particularly so early into his Saints loan spell. But the midfielder returned to the Saints XI for the visit of Everton before starting two of his side’s next three games.

Now looking like an essential piece of Hasenhuttl's puzzle, Maitland-Niles himself, was never worried.

"I didn’t take it as any criticism," the 25-year-old told the Daily Echo of Hasenhuttl's decision to leave him out for the clash at Villa Park. 

"It was something that we both spoke about before the game and we both agreed that it was best to leave me out for the game because I didn’t have enough knowledge oof the positional awareness and tactics as he would have liked me to. So we both agreed it was the best thing to do. 

"Football is a long old season. It’s not just one game, two games, it’s 38 of them. You have to pace yourself and understand it’s not about the here and now but about what’s going to happen over the course of the season and what’s there for me."

Daily Echo:

It’s taken time for Maitland-Niles to showcase the ability that has seen him spend almost two decades on Arsenal's books, but his battling performance in last week’s 1-0 win at AFC Bournemouth certainly helped fans get behind the recent arrival.

"It is important to have them (the fans) on your side but that’s just the type of player I am," Maitland-Niles explained. 

"I’ll put my body on the line to try and win the ball back or try to get past someone and be on the receiving end of a tackle, that’s just the kind of player I am personally. But it is of course hard to try and win the fans on your side when you’re not the type of person who gives 100% every time."

Maitland-Niles' Saints resurgence has come just when his team has needed him most following a troubling downturn in form that coincided with Romeo Lavia being sidelined with a serious hamstring injury.

But a run of four consecutive defeats ended with the recent 1-1 draw against West Ham to begin a week that saw Saints take five points in seven days. Maitland-Niles is confident his own positive reaction to being left on the sidelines is reflective of the entire dressing room's attitude in difficult moments.

"We have those types of personalities in the dressing room, when things are not going right, we get our heads together, we come together as a team, as a family, and we push together onto the next game to make it right."

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