SAINTS boss Ivan Juric admitted he was not happy with Welington's intensity against AFC Bournemouth but insisted that has not changed his opinion of the Brazilian.
Welington, 24, was hooked at half-time in his home Premier League debut on Saturday, which ended in a 3-1 defeat to Cherries.
Juric was adamant there is "no problem" with Welington and explained that the former Sao Paulo full-back is still adjusting to the cultural differences of English football.
"I wasn't satisfied with his game against Bournemouth," Juric told the Daily Echo. "We had a situation which for me is normal because he came from Brazil.
"It's a completely different type of football. Even when you speak with him now, he says everything is different.
"They're fast. There's no stopping when you play sometimes. I think he's good. I think he's good technically. He can defend well.
"I want sometimes that he's attacking more, but he's good. The adaptation from the Brazilian style of football and the Premier League, it's a huge difference in intensity.
Since arriving on the south coast, the 24 year old has struck up a relationship with Mateus Fernandes, a fellow Portuguese speaker.
The two were high-fiving each other after successful actions during the 2-1 win at Ipswich earlier this month.
"There's Mateus here and I speak Spanish," Juric continued. "I can speak with him, but he's a really good guy.
"He tries to understand English. He is studying English. There's no problem with Welington. He just has to get used to the rhythm of the Premier League like other players.
"I was in Italy for 24 years and it's different. The rhythm is different and it's not easy to make changes immediately."
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