This article is part of Football FanCast's Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba's haircuts to League Two relegation battles...

A lot of things can be considered when discussing the reasons for Southampton's wretched campaign so far.

Things have been clouded in uncertainty at boardroom level, with Director of Football Ross Wilson leaving for Rangers a few weeks ago while Gao Jisheng's reign at St Mary's hasn't yet had the desired effects.

The set-up hasn't been ideal for Ralph Hasenhuttl, although the Southampton boss also hasn't helped himself at times with some pretty strange decisions in terms of team selection.

Let's take a look at three of the Austrian's most peculiar decisions so far this term...

Starting Moussa Djenepo at left wing-back

After arriving from Standard Liege for £15m back in the summer, following a 2018/19 campaign in which he scored 11 goals and made six assists, Moussa Djenepo has proven to be an attacking starlet capable of a game-changing moment at just 21 years of age - his wonder-goal away to Brighton was evidence of that.

So, when Hasenhuttl stuck the attacker at left wing-back away to Sheffield United, and then again in the second half against Everton on Saturday, eyebrows may have been raised at to why the former RB Leipzig boss would put one of his most potent forwards as part of the backline.

Placing Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg at left-back 

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Whilst putting Djenepo at left wing-back against Sheffield United was odd, playing a centre-midfielder in Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg at left-back - up against Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker - was arguably even stranger.

That's exactly what Hasenhuttl did in the recent 2-1 defeat away to Manchester City, and while the end result was a fairly respectable one, it was nonetheless a baffling move from the Saints boss when he had Kevin Danso and Maya Yoshida on the bench.

Deploying Stuart Armstrong at right wing-back

Last time out against Everton, Hasenhuttl made yet another mind-boggling move when playing a midfielder, Stuart Armstrong, at right wing-back, when he had both Cedric Soares and Yan Valery fit and available.

The Scotland international's ability to play at right wing-back is not recognised by Transfermarkt as one of his natural positions, nor was it one that he took to like a duck to water as Richarlison's winner came on Armstrong's side of the pitch.

If he had any sense about him, Hasenhuttl wouldn't do this again.