SAINTS wanted to wait until the World Cup break before making their managerial change and if they did so it would have felt like a well-timed amicable split.

As a result of a heavy home defeat to Newcastle United and subsequent pressure on Ralph Hasenhuttl, they had to throw the final week of the mid-season into chaos.

But in doing that, their new man believes they have afforded him a valuable week of learning. Nathan Jones first watched his players struggle through a cup test.

The Welshman then got to sit in the hot seat at Anfield – although he spent very little time sitting, rather orchestrating from the touchline of the famous Premier League ground. 

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Video clips emerged via the club’s official channels of him delivering an impassioned team talk centred around showing no fear in the face of serial winners Liverpool.

Speaking after the 3-1 defeat, Jones said it would have been easy for him to sit back and start work following the conclusion of the three-game week and time off that followed.

"I learned a massive, massive amount and I wouldn't have learned that in the stands. That's why I wanted to take the game,” he explained.

“It would have been not quite the cowardly way to do it, but I could have looked at Liverpool away and thought 'can I sit in the stand and get away with this one?' but that's not me.

"I wanted to come here and learn against one of the best sides the Premier League has seen because Liverpool in recent years have been one of the best Premier League sides ever.”

Although those who had followed Saints closely probably did not learn a great deal from seeing Che Adams as the biggest threat, a strong James Ward-Prowse delivery and consistent defensive issues – Jones, taking his first-ever Premier League game, certainly did.

Daily Echo: Nathan Jones

The way Jones speaks, and certainly the project in the mind of Rasmus Ankersen and Sport Republic, is one of long-term, gradual implementation and improvement.

“We'll reiterate the basics and we will work and we will evolve and we will get better. The more time I get with them, I promise you we will get better,” Jones added.

Jones is a convincing speaker. The only issue present is there really is not much time at all – albeit more than any other Premier League mid-season managerial change has ever been granted.

“To some extent we don't really have time now, hence why everyone needs to make sure they do their programmes and come back fully fit,” Theo Walcott said, speaking about Jones and his first few days as manager.

“We have got a lot of young players who are still sort of trying to figure out the Premier League, which is fine, and I feel like they are going to have to sort of skip a few pages in the book to come up to play right now."

We await confirmation of the club’s plans for the next five weeks. Right now, Jones is catching up on sleep while the players continue their fitness programmes at home.

Mohammed Salisu and Armel Bella-Kotchap – two individuals who despite being impressive are at the heart of a defence that cannot seem to defend – are in Qatar. Others whose nations did not qualify, like Gavin Bazunu, have shorter international duties.

Jones dismissed the idea that missed chances are the reason he takes on a job that sees Saints second-bottom after 15 matches, instead pointing to the concerning one clean sheet all season.

Daily Echo:

“That can't happen. You keep clean sheets, you guarantee yourself to get points – and that's got to change,” he rather sternly told the Daily Echo.

So it will be a bit of a blow to not work with his two starting centre-backs right from the off, and whether they eventually join the rest of the squad in their likely Miami trip remains to be seen.

Jones, in order to keep this club in the Premier League and simultaneously ease the minds of any who doubted the suitability of a manager who has never managed at this level, will need to make an immediate mark.

Lying before Saints are a set of seven fixtures versus the three teams directly around them in the table and four more they think they should be competing with but instead are significantly outperforming them.

Brighton (7th), Fulham (9th), Nottingham Forest (18th), Everton (17th) Aston Villa (12th), Brentford (10th) and Wolves (20th) precede a visit to Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge.

After failed deadline day efforts this summer, Sport Republic are likely to work to reinforce Jones with a further attacking option but the manager has already made clear there will not be a “£160million” panic splurge.

Only seven points separate Saints in 19th (12) and newly-promoted Fulham 10 places higher (19) – and that run of seven games, if Jones can bring momentum to a previously lost group of players, can do much to cut the deficit.

"He’s just honest and straightforward and if you work hard for him he will be good for you. The boys are looking forward to it, it’s something different and we just have to work hard,” Adams said, asked about the new manager by the Daily Echo.

At no point this season or indeed going forward will Jones believe he has inherited an easy job, but capturing confidence and laying down markers early on will make his life a lot easier.

And at no point will Saints completely guarantee survival because of seven fixtures in a 38-game season, but it can make that a whole lot easier too. 

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