Saints Marching
Fansided

Five takeaways from the Brentford vs Southampton friendly

By Nikos Lemanis

BRENTFORD, ENGLAND - JANUARY 07: Supporters make their way to the stadium prior to the Emirates FA Cup third round match between Brentford and Eastleigh FC at Griffin Park on January 7, 2017 in Brentford, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
BRENTFORD, ENGLAND - JANUARY 07: Supporters make their way to the stadium prior to the Emirates FA Cup third round match between Brentford and Eastleigh FC at Griffin Park on January 7, 2017 in Brentford, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /
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SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – MAY 10: Sofiane Boufal of Southampton takes on Nacho Monreal (R) of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Southampton and Arsenal at St Mary’s Stadium on May 10, 2017 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Ian Walton/Getty Images)
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – MAY 10: Sofiane Boufal of Southampton takes on Nacho Monreal (R) of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Southampton and Arsenal at St Mary’s Stadium on May 10, 2017 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Ian Walton/Getty Images) /

A new Boufal?

A lot was expected of record signing Sofiane Boufal last season. Although fans saw sparks of the talent we anticipated prior to his arrival, it’s fair to say that he didn’t have the impact most had hoped.

Boufal has been berated for his lack of strength, his lack of defensive participation, his inability to pass, his selfish hogging of the ball, his over-complicated dribbling, his lack of goals, his negative body language – the list goes on…

But today he was excellent, not just in his contribution but in his attitude.

It seemed for the first ten minutes that we were going to see another frustrating performance from the Moroccan. A few turns didn’t come off, some dribbling fell short due to the wet pitch, but he looked more determined than before.

And as the first half went on he emerged as one of the standout performers. Boufal played a refreshingly rounded game, showing a determination to pass, win headers, track back and make challenges.

He also served up the most exciting moment of the match – a hazy run past four Brentford players that sadly wasn’t quite matched by his chipped finish. But he had the fans on their feet, which is a key reason why Southampton bought him in the first place.

Although Boufal didn’t provide a goal or assist today, he was involved in the second Saints goal. Controlling it cleverly with two touches outside the box, he started the move that ended with Sam McQueen’s cross and Austin’s finish.

Both his manager and fans will be hoping to see more of this standard throughout the coming season. Boufal should be one of the keys to Southampton’s success, but it’s up to him to show he has what it takes.