Saints need more time to gel, says Wanyama

REUTERS – Southampton need more time to gel after a host of close-season changes, midfielder Victor Wanyama said after his side’s 2-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday.

Manager Ronald Koeman brought in four players during the European summer transfer window as the sale of key duo Nathaniel Clyne and Morgan Schneiderlin forced his hand.

The loss to Spurs condemned the south-coast side to their fifth loss in their last six games in all competitions.

“We still need to work together and to know each other more because we had a lot of changes in the team and we still need a bit of time to gel together,” Wanyama told the club’s website (www.saintsfc.co.uk).

“It’s about being together. We just need to fight more and sharpen ourselves up because we have some tough games ahead.

“I think it’s not going to go your way all the time but we believe in ourselves and we believe we can still get there. We still have a chance and if we work hard then we can still get up there.”

The Saints, who are 12th in the table, play second-placed Arsenal next Saturday knowing a loss could put them three points above the relegation zone.

(Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru; editing by Clare Fallon)