2016/17 Southampton season review: Fraser Forster

Having spent as much as half of the 2015/16 season injured, the following campaign would prove vital to Fraser Forster’s game as he entered his goalkeeping prime.

With Joe Hart out on loan at Torino in Italy, Southampton stopper Fraser Forster had the chance to become England’s best native goalkeeper. Signed from Celtic in 2014 Forster replaced Artur Boruc as the Saints’ first-choice keeper, he was on the sidelines for over half of his team’s Premier League games last year.

This time around though with Maarten Stekelenburg having joined Everton Forster was comfortably Southampton’s best goalkeeper, something which could’ve both added pressure to the England international or gone the other way.

This season Forster was one of only five players in the whole league to play each and every minute of all 38 games this season. He was one of only two goalkeepers, alongside West Brom’s Ben Foster.

In total the 29-year-old made 48 appearances in all competitions this year, the most of any campaign since he joined for £12 million or so three years ago.

He was present for all six of his side’s Europa League group stage matches as the Saints got knocked out, and it also made another four appearances in the EFL Cup as Southampton reached the final.

Next: Summer Wishlist: Chris Hughes

MIDDLESBROUGH, ENGLAND – MAY 13: Fraser Forster of Southampton arrives at the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Middlesbrough and Southampton at Riverside Stadium on May 13, 2017 in Middlesbrough, England. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images) /

Mixed success

Fitting with their eighth-placed finish, Southampton conceded the eighth-least goals over the course of the Premier League season, with 48 going past Forster.

This was an increase of seven from the season before hand, but when you consider that Saints scored 18 less than they did under Ronald Koeman that increase doesn’t seem as bad.

Despite this Forster ended the season with a relatively bad save-shot ratio, conceding around a goal every other time a shot is fired at his net.

With Alex McCarthy having suffered a long-term injury Claude Puel brought in Mouez Hassen in January, but the latter failed to play a minute of senior for the Saints meaning Forster remained in the line-up for entire second half of the season.

Despite this he did make his first proper penalty save as a Southampton player, having faced seven before making his save against Liverpool’s James Milner.

All-in-all however Forster was impressive for the Saints on occasions and relatively consistent throughout.

My verdict

Forster’s indifferent campaign might not be a bad thing. With Virgil van Dijk potentially leaving it’d be good to have some solidity and having our number one stopper stay due to an ‘average’ year would be great.

The lack of competition for his starting spot definitely had an effect on Forster’s performances in the second half of the season, and signing another back-up goalkeeper is something that should definitely be considered going into next season. All things considered he should get a seven.

Fraser Forster – 7/10