NATHAN Jones was denied the opportunity to make an immediate mark on his new club but the recently appointed manager has taken other things from his first week.

The class of Liverpool saw Saints fall back into the same defensive mistakes during the opening half of an eventual 3-1 defeat at Anfield, before an improved second 45’ saw big chances.

Although Jurgen Klopp’s Reds – without their manager after he was slapped with a one-match touchline ban on Friday evening – have not been their imperious best, they are top quality.

Jones has inherited a team in the bottom three and – despite all of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s good work over four years – devoid of ideas and confidence.

It was the 49-year-old’s first taste of Premier League management and could be one of his toughest, so the Daily Echo asked him if it was a proud moment personally.

“Oh absolutely, but I don’t just want to be a Premier League manager, that’s not my ambition,” he responded. “I want to make sure I’m successful or relatively successful at the level.

“So I’m very proud moment and as I said in a recent press, it would have been easy for me not to take the game today because I’ve come in with one day to work with them.”

Jones added: “But that’s not my character, that’s not my style, I wanted to get in amongst it regardless of opposition.

"I wasn’t here to get autographs or anything, I was here because I wanted to learn about my team, learn about my players, learn about myself, learn about my staff, learn about everything.

“One of the toughest stages you can start with, I’m proud to be a manager, proud to be a Premier League manager, proud to have taken this game today. But I’ve learnt a lot and that’s the main thing.”

Brazilian international Alisson made three big second-half stops to deny Moi Elyounoussi, Samuel Edozie and Che Adams finding Saints a foothold in the game.

It continues a theme of missed chances which ultimately saw former manager Ralph Hasenhuttl’s demise, but Jones has pointed elsewhere to make improvements first.

“It's not only about missed chances, we’ve only kept one clean sheet as a club and that can’t happen,” Jones admitted.

“If you keep a clean sheet you guarantee yourself points so that has got to change. I can look at all the negatives and we will be better in the next game on those negatives, but the positive for me is the second-half. That’s the main thing.”

Saints will spend Christmas Day in the relegation zone of the Premier League with 12 points from 15 matches so far this season. 

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