Southampton and manager Ruben Selles have one major 'issue' to contend with in their battle against relegation, says Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Saints struggle...

The Saints are fighting against a drop to England's second tier after a lacklustre 2022/2023 Premier League season with Sport Republic investing heavily in youth last summer.

There is an argument to be made that Southampton's influx of young signings didn't supply then-manager Ralph Hasenhuttl with much experience or know-how.

The St. Mary's side may well be paying it for now and in particular further forward, with Jones sharing one major 'issue' Southampton have.

The Latest: Jones shares Southampton problem...

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones claims that the real problem at Southampton is their lack of creativity in the final third - explaining:

"Creativity is an issue and carving out chances is basically going to be critical. As we move on from here, it will decide whether they can stay in the division.

"It's a tough one for the new boss to get his head around because he can't change this now. He's got what he's got for the rest of the season and he's got to find a fix.

"Paul Onuachu can thrive in this league, but only with the right service. At the moment, there isn't much of that in sight."

The Verdict: Cause for concern...

The proof is in the numbers for Southampton with their lack of potency there for all to see.

Only Everton, Nottingham Forest and Wolves have scored fewer goals than Selles' side throughout 2022/2023, and to make matters more worrying, they've only bagged two in their last five league matches.

Signing Paul Onuachu from Genk will hopefully help in this regard considering the Nigeria international is a proven goalscorer in Europe.

The 28-year-old bagged 85 goals and ten assists during his time at Genk and with any luck his African compatriot, Kamaldeen Sulemana, can also provide more threat after arriving in January.

Right now, though, the numbers are nowhere near good enough to stay in this division and Selles' almighty task is to get Southampton firing.