Southampton midfielder agrees with Ralph Hasenhuttl about what Saints need ahead of Spurs opener

Will Smallbone admits that Southampton need to find a cutting edge after their goalless draw on Monday night.

Saints played SK Austria Klagenfurt in Austria and found themselves unlucky to to not win the game outright after Adam Armstrong missed a second-half penalty. Smallbone and Ibrahima Diallo both hit the woodwork in the opening 45 minutes but when the final whistle blew, neither side had been able to find the back of the net.

For Smallbone, it was another appearance on the Austria tour after getting a run out in the second-half of Saturday's game against RB Leipzig. With another 45 minutes under his belt for the Saints ahead of the start of the 2022/23 Premier League season, the 22-year-old said that while it was good to play, he and his team-mates need to be more clinical in front of goal.

“I felt good,” admitted Smallbone. “I think it was good for me personally to get another 45 minutes so close to the game on Saturday.”

“I think it was a good test, they’re a good side and I think we showed some good glimpses of what we’ve been working on in training. I think if we could provide that cutting edge of finishing the chances when they come the score could have been different today but I think the fact that we’re getting into those situations is promising. “

His thoughts echo those of his manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, who identified the clear problem for his side when speaking to after the game on Monday night. Hasenhuttl said: “We had some good chances, the better ones I think. But in some moments defensively, especially in the first half, we were slightly riskier. We struggled with some moments.

“But the defensive work is better than our offensive work at the moment. We have definitely missed a few good