Sunderland will be fearing a seventh defeat in a row in the Championship today, knowing that Queens Park Rangers winning could well see them sink even further into an unexpected relegation battle to add to their anxieties.
As a result, Mike Dodds will know his Black Cats team selection is crucial to try and inspire his players to a rare victory to stop the rot.
Dodds has been unafraid to stick 16-year-old Chris Rigg into his starting lineups as interim boss so far, but could well allow the exciting teenager to sit out the match at QPR after failing to spark into life away at Southampton.
Chris Rigg's performance vs Southampton in numbers
Featuring in all of Dodds' four games back in the temporary hot seat, Rigg has certainly benefitted from his 37-year-old manager's bold selection calls.
Yet, the 16-year-old's display in the club's 4-2 loss from the get-go could now see the energetic number 31 simply make up the numbers on the bench against QPR over starting.
The left-footed midfielder would only accumulate 15 touches of the ball at St.Mary's, a far cry away from his impactful showing against Leicester City in the game prior where Rigg amassed 43 touches going toe-to-toe with the league leaders.
Moreover, the teenage sensation's unmemorable display would see him complete just five accurate passes from his 57 minutes on the pitch, on top of firing just one blocked effort on Gavin Bazunu's goal.
In truth, Rigg would stick out as a midfield option on the day that was failing to add much creativity and drive to his lacklustre side.
On the contrary, his more impressive teammates through the middle in Romaine Mundle and Jobe Bellingham attempted to steer Sunderland to a comeback by scoring both of Sunderland's strikes.
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Mundle and Bellingham had to arguably pick up the slack handed to them by striker Mason Burstow going missing, who might well join Rigg as dropping out for today's clash with QPR consequently.
Mason Burstow's performance vs Southampton in numbers
The Chelsea loanee continues to underwhelm the hardened Black Cats masses, with just the solitary goal still next to his name from 19 Championship games.
His precarious spot in the first-team won't have been helped by his passenger-like showing at St. Mary's, the 20-year-old attacker hitting three off-target efforts at Bazunu's net from his torrid 57 minutes on the South Coast. However, one of those efforts would end up clattering the woodwork to his slight credit.
Still, Dodds and Co are crying out for a new clinical finisher with 15-goal star Jack Clarke sidelined and Burstow is anything but that when those minimal opportunities come his way.
Minutes played
57
Shots on target
0
Touches
17
Accurate passes
3/8 (38%)
Duels won
2/7
Burstow would also embarrassingly exit the field of play on the South Coast with just three accurate passes managed from his meagre 17 touches of the ball, whilst also weakly winning just two of the seven duels he timidly launched himself into.
The Chelsea loanee would be handed out a low 4/10 rating by Sunderland Echo journalist Phil Smith unsurprisingly – Smith justifying his score by stating that the Black Cats number 11 was 'unable to impact the contest' – and so Dodds might decide to roll the dice and give 20-year-old Luis Semedo a start in his place with Nazariy Rusyn unfortunately another injury casualty confirmed for the game today.
Sunderland are just crying out for a win to raise their spirits no matter how ugly or positive the overall performance is, with Dodds praying that some changes here and there to his XI can see a vital three points become reality for his dejected side.
