IT'S fair to say that Flynn Downes has been missed in the midfield for Southampton while out injured.

Saints have leaked eight goals since he was forced off in the first half against Huddersfield - the same total they had conceded in their 18 previous matches.

Flynn's position is one that tends to fly under the radar. Players further up the field who catch the eye and score goals tend to get more of the plaudits.

In the dressing room, I'm sure he is a player who gets the recognition he deserves from his teammates and coaches, but it is not until you miss a player of his class that you recognise how important he is.

His position at the base of midfield is crucial. When compared to other midfielders, Downes ranks in the top 98 percentile for successful passes per 90 (75) and in the top 76 percentile for tackles won per 90 (1.41).

I remember looking at the bench when the line up came out on Tuesday evening and thinking about how good it was.

Russell has touched on it in his press conferences - the squad depth is a headache for him, but a good one.

We have had a little blip as we head into the business end of the season. We need to stabilise that now and get the results and performances back to where they were.

While Southampton were losing to Hull City, a club legend was getting off to a perfect start as Eastleigh manager.

Just a day after joining the Spitfires, Kelvin Davis saw his team thrash Oxford City 5-2 in the Vanarama National League.

I was following things closely after the announcement that he had joined the club alongside another former Saint, Danny Butterfield.

I am thrilled that Kelvin is back in football. It is great to see him in a role that he has been working towards for some time. 

To have someone like Butts alongside him as well will be great for the club, and it will be great for them to work alongside each other again. 

I wish them every success because I would like to see Eastleigh do well. I am very much looking forward to seeing how the next stage of Kelvin and Danny's career goes.

Their profiles will help in so many ways, one of those being helping the club attract more Saints fans to the Silverlake.

But, ultimately, things always boil down to what happens on the pitch. I hope they get the results they need.

Knowing them personally, their characters will be brilliant for the football club. It is an exciting time for Eastleigh. The club want to go from strength to strength.

It seems that they have enjoyed the new manager's bounce from Kelvin's arrival. Sometimes, as a player, having some new ideas around can give you that needed lift after a difficult patch.

Upon his arrival, Kelvin said he wants his players to enjoy playing football - something I'm sure they will do if they keep winning games in the manner they did on Tuesday.

One team we will all be hoping do not have a new manager bounce is Millwall, who have just brought in Neil Harris ahead of facing Saints on Saturday.

It probably makes it a little bit harder to prepare for the next game when a team bring in a new manager because you do not have as much previous stuff to work off and analyse. 

Many will remember that it was Harris who was in charge of Gillingham when they knocked Saints out of the League Cup earlier this season - although that was a very different Southampton team.