The ultimate team effort: Southampton keep winning even when key names go missing
Tonda Eckert didn't reveal too much heading into Southampton's clash with Queens Park Rangers on Saturday when it came to the availability of Cyle Larin and Flynn Downes.
Both players weren't present whatsoever against West Ham United, with Eckert stating, in the build-up to the R's match, that one of the two injured members of his squad would feature at St. Mary's.
That ended up being Downes, as Larin was nowhere to be found among the substitutes once more.
The one-time Swansea City midfielder was only given a short 15 minute run-out, though, as Eckert and Co. showed once again, like the 3-2 Hammers victory, that football is a team effort, and wins can't solely be clinched by relying on one or two individuals shining.
A team effort won the game vs QPR
Indeed, the Saints won 4-1 with four different goalscorers all sharing the same limelight.
Kuryu Matsuki would get the ball rolling to make it 1-0, before Cameron Bragg would then pick up his first ever Championship goal for Eckert's men to give them breathing space at 2-0.
Keven Schlotterbeck would decide to collect his second Saints goal shortly after to effectively seal the win and then, right at the death, Welington would hop off the bench to make it 4-1, just to add even more gloss to the emphatic win.
There was no Larin focal point present, but that isn't hurting the promotion hopefuls one bit, as everyone is contributing and singing off the same hymn sheet, meaning key men going missing - like the injury-stricken Canadian - doesn't have to be a earth-shuddering blow.
Bragg stepping up and putting in a polished performance also made the loss of Caspar Jander not that noticeable, alongside Downes not being at the races, with the German set for his own stay in the St. Mary's treatment room, unfortunately.
Amazingly, Leo Scienza didn't get on the scoresheet, with other teams perhaps folding if a player of the Brazilian's spellbinding ability didn't show up.
In the Saints' case, though, every single player knows their role effortlessly, and when they're purring, they really are an unstoppable machine altogether.
A crazy stat would actually come to light post the 4-1 win that only reinforces the notion that Eckert and Co. are way more than a Downes and Larin show.
Saints are far more than Downes and Larin
Staggeringly, so far this season, Southampton have had 13 different goalscorers in Championship action.
This just proves how unreliant they are on the likes of Larin to get them out of sticky situations, with everyone all across the pitch chipping in.
Of course, it would be wonderful to have a striker of the Brampton Bagsman's acumen available, as he does boast seven league goals so far this season.
But, you do have Matsuki on four strikes now for the campaign, alongside James Bree boasting two goals next to his name to join in with the trend of defenders scoring, with Welington and Schlotterbeck both getting on the scoresheet against Julien Stephan's visitors.
Bragg, after the dust had settled on the 4-1 win, even commented that he wants more goals to come his way after breaking his Championship duck against the R's, with the goals flowing from every possible direction.
The spread out nature of the team should stand them in good stead, hopefully, for a bruising and intense promotion race, as they go to West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday night ready to win, no matter who Eckert decides to select from the get-go.
