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This article is part of Football FanCast's Monthly Review series, which analyses what managers can learn from the previous month and what the coming month could have in store.

It was certainly a mixed start to the campaign for Southampton.

Having started off with a miserable 3-0 defeat to Burnley at Turf Moor, Ralph Hasenhuttl oversaw an impressive 1-1 draw against Manchester United in Southampton's last Premier League outing - a definite contrast in results there, to say the least.

Sofiane Boufal has returned from his loan spell at Celta Vigo in inspired form, handing Hasenhuttl a headache as to how he involves the Moroccan in his lineup.

The Austrian has also used a number of different systems this season, including a 3-4-2-1 against the Clarets, a 4-2-2-2 against United and a 3-5-2 against Liverpool - there are definitely a couple of things the former RB Leipzig boss needs to address this month.

Deciding on a system 

Having just mentioned it, there's no other place to start.

Pre-season should be the time for tinkering with your system, not the first four games of the campaign.

The Saints ended the month with four points having faced Burnley, Liverpool, Brighton and United, which isn't terrible, although the least Hasenhuttl must do is settle his squad down and get them familiar with one formation.

The 4-2-2-2 reaped every single point the club have gained this season, with a win against the Seagulls and a draw with United, while three-at-the-back systems resulted in two losses against Burnley and Liverpool.

The former should be the way forward.

Deciding on who should start at left-back

This is a tricky one.

Hasenhuttl handed 20-year-old centre-back Kevin Danso his debut for the trip to Brighton, but strangely deployed him at left-back with Ryan Bertrand missing through injury - however, the Saints boss said that he would've made the switch regardless.

Pierre-Emile Højbjerg also had a run-out at left-back in the Carabao Cup win over Fulham, before Danso returned to the position for the game against Manchester United.

It is unknown what exactly has happened between Bertrand and Hasenhuttl, but the Southampton boss must select a consistent choice to start at left-back if he isn't going to reinstate the former Chelsea man.

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