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Southampton: 2017/18 half-season review – Wesley Hoedt

By Marc Walker

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 09: Wesley Hoedt of Southampton during the Premier League match between Southampton and Watford at St Mary's Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Tony Marshall/Getty Images)
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 09: Wesley Hoedt of Southampton during the Premier League match between Southampton and Watford at St Mary's Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Tony Marshall/Getty Images) /
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After signing for Saints in the summer, centre-back Wesley Hoedt has slowly but surely established himself as a one of the strongest defenders at St. Mary’s.

With the inevitable departure of Virgil van Dijk in late December, it was important that Saints prepared ahead of time and signed a replacement, and they look to have chosen well. At 23-years-old, Hoedt also has a lot of potential growth in his overall game to come too.

At around 6’3″, the Dutch international is a good height for a centre-back and regularly tries to showcase the abilities that he has. He has a good range of passing, is a strong aerial presence in both boxes and has contributed well to Southampton’s defence this season.

A big part of a modern central defender’s game nowadays is their ability to bring the ball forward from defence and try to initiate attacks for their team. Hoedt has tried to do this and has been successful overall despite a costly mistake against Bournemouth which led to Saints conceding a goal.

The fact that he is left-footed also makes him naturally left-sided, and helps him to fit into a back four and a back three. Virgil van Dijk had played this role before to good effect, and it means that Hoedt can try his long cross field balls to try and stretch the play.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 29: Wesley Hoedt of Southampton shoots during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Southampton at Etihad Stadium on November 29, 2017 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 29: Wesley Hoedt of Southampton shoots during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Southampton at Etihad Stadium on November 29, 2017 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images) /

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According to Whoscored.com, Hoedt has made an average of 5.3 clearances, 2 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per match in the Premier League. These numbers help to show the high level he has operated at despite Southampton’s troubles this season.

The stats also show that his distribution has been strong as well. His has a Pass Success rate of 83.9% and completes an average of 47.3 passes per match in the Premier League. He also attempts an average of 5.2 long balls per game, which is second to only Fraser Forster.

Hoedt picked up an injury during the Manchester United game when he clashed heads with opposition striker Romelu Lukaku, and would miss games against Crystal Palace and Fulham through concussion. Rotation of the defence throughout the campaign has also perhaps meant that Saints fans are yet to see the very best of him.

His contributions to the team performances will be vital for the remainder of the campaign as Southampton scrap for points to avoid relegation. A strong defence has been a trait of the south coast club in recent years, and Hoedt and his fellow defenders will have to work hard to improve results in the coming games.