Having already been relegated, Southampton had nothing to play for but pride when they faced West Ham United on Saturday afternoon. The Saints pulled off a 1-1 draw, however, Rusk and Lallana’s first point since taking over from former manager Ivan Juric.
Downes has praised the coaching duo and put the result down to their impact in the past few weeks as the side prepares to drop down to the Championship.
"Obviously, we know where we are in the table, but I think everyone's stuck together.
"There's a real good vibe in the group at the minute. That's coming from Rusky, Ads, they've been unreal, all the staff. It's a point in the right direction.
"It's been tough, don't get me wrong, because we all know what's happened and that we've been relegated, so of course, there's disappointment.
"But as I said, Rusky, the staff, they've come in, they've been unreal. They've brought that bit of positivity that we needed, they've brought us together.
"We want to finish strong for next year, so going into next year we've got a bit of confidence. I think that's a performance to build on for sure."
Southampton will be one of the favourites for promotion back to the Premier League next season. The club are preparing to fill in the managerial gap but with Rusk and Lallana performing so well there is a slim chance they could stick with what they have now as to not risk another failed managerial appointment.