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Southampton fan reaction following Saints’ 0-0 draw with Burnley

We took to Twitter to see what Saints fans thought of their team’s season opener.

Southampton FC v Burnley FC - Premier League Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images

Following Southampton’s 0-0 draw with Burnley on Sunday, we asked what Saints fans thought of their side’s first game of the 2018/19 Premier League campaign.

Mark Hughes got his tactics wrong initially, but his second-half changes made a big difference

A recurring theme among Saints fans of late: no one being convinced of the team successfully working in a formation with five at the back.

Given how the team had set up that way throughout pre-season, it was no shock to see Southampton start with three centre-halves and two wing-backs. And, like how many Saints fans thought, it didn’t really work as Burnley looked the stronger side in the first half.

However, Hughes’ changes in the second half - seeing the team revert to a 4-4-2-like formation, alongside substitutions of Manolo Gabbiadini and new signings Mohamed Elyounoussi and Danny Ings, who made their first appearances for Saints proper - seemingly got the team playing in a more cohesive, attack-minded manner.

Perhaps Saints’ positive second-half performance, following that tactical switch, will lead Hughes to ditch five at the back going forward.

Saints fans like what they see in the club’s new summer signings

In short, the Saints fans who responded to our tweet seemed to have positive things to say of the club’s summer signings, including Jannik Vestergaard, Ings, and Elyounoussi.

Not bad, considering only two of those signings were only introduced in the second half.

Some Southampton fans were just relieved to avoid defeat

Saints fans are generally a humble, maybe even pessimistic bunch - and who can blame them following decades of underachievement and not a whole lot to shout about.

Burnley of course beat Southampton at St. Mary’s last season, and Saints only mustered a last-gasp draw at Turf Moor as Sean Dyche’s men finished 7th in the Premier League.

Given how rough last season was, maybe it’s right to just be happy with a half-decent start to the new league campaign.