Southampton: Stuart Armstrong has bedded in well
By Chris Hughes
Two games into his Southampton career, and the Saints look to they may of landed a steal in Scotsman Stuart Armstrong.
Granted, you have to take pre-season games with a pinch of salt, as the most important thing is the gain match fitness and to get experience with new teammates in different systems.
However despite this we can still comment on some players’ performances after two games, with the Saints having concluded their pre-season tour of China with a draw against Schalke and a win against Jiangsu Suning.
Wesley Hoedt has come in for criticism but Nathan Redmond has scored two impressive goals in as many games, whilst new signing Stuart Armstrong has bedded in really quickly.
The Scot has started both games so far, playing mostly in an attacking position just off the striker/s, and has been impressive in each match.
We were already aware that in signing the midfielder, we would add some real energy to the middle of the park, as the 26-year-old is a box-to-box midfielder who is often tireless in the games he played for Celtic.
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However, what has surprised some Southampton fans is how natural Armstrong in just about any corner of the pitch – on the defensive end he has got stuck in and chased his man despite naturally being more attacking, and he has even drifted out wide to help make things happen in the final third.
A prime example of this was of course his assist in the friendly yesterday afternoon, as he shot over to the right flank before firing an impressive cross into the mixer off his left foot, with Manolo Gabbiadini duly dispatched with a fine header.
As a central player Armstrong has no right to look so comfortable out wide, but he did well to take the Jiangsu player on and his delivery was as good as we’ve seen so far in pre-season.
The Scotsman’s versatility is something which fans are excited about, and I myself even thought he may of been playing in a right-wing-back role in the first-half of the 3-3 draw with Schalke last week.
At £7 million his arrival may not of turned as many heads as Gunn’s or Elyounoussi’s, but he could easily be just as important a player through the course of the long and grueling Premier League campaign.
It’s early days, but Southampton supporters can be happy with how the Scottish midfielder has bedded in, and he could prove to be a great player for the side.