Southampton: Hojbjerg proves his worth and deserves starting role
After two starts Hojbjerg has impressed and should find himself in the starting lineup moving forward if Mark Hughes wants to continue winning.
Saturday’s 2-0 win at Crystal Palace had a lot of encouraging signs for Saints fans moving forward. Overall the team played exceptionally well and came away with all three points which were desperately needed by Mark Hughes’ side.
One player particularly stood out above the rest and that was last week’s villain, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. The Dane had a great match in all phases of play and even netted his first Premier League goal late in the match to seal the victory for Saints.
Outside of that horrific dive, Hojbjerg has proven himself worthy of a starting role over his two starts and should be included in Southampton’s starting XI from here on out.
Through his two starts this season Hojbjerg’s passing has been particularly sharp. Completing a total of 149 passes (74.5 per match) at success rate of 91.3%. By comparison, Oriel Romeu is averaging 21.8 passes per match over his four league appearances at a success rate of 79.3% and Mario Lemina is averaging 43.5 passes per match at a rate of 86.2%. (Stats according to WhoScored.com).
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In addition to the sky-high passing percentage, Hojbjerg has also had two key passes in each match as well as completing an average of 6.5 long balls (Stats according to WhoScored.com).
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Not only can he pick out the open players near him, he has shown he is more than capable of finding players on the other side of the pitch and switching the play. With an elite passer on the pitch the game changes for Saints as they will be able to get forward easier and create more chances in future matches.
Hojbjerg is also a capable player on defense and there is not really a hole that needs to be filled when Romeu is not on the pitch. He is making 1.5 tackles per match to go with two interceptions per match as well. Romeu on the other hand is only averaging one tackle per match and zero interceptions.
The Spaniard’s best days may be behind him and it is time for another player to fill his role and that is Hojbjerg. It is sad to see Romeu’s level of play diminish so much so quickly. As much as fans want to see him return to his form just two seasons ago it is looking less and less likely each time he steps out there.
To say Hojbjerg has been a precise passer so far would be an understatement. His numbers will most likely go down from here but those figures are exciting and he should not be taken out of the lineup. Hojbjerg and Lemina appear to have a good working relationship and are more than capable of holding down the midfield for Saints. If Hughes continues to use a 4-4-2 in future fixtures Lemina and Hojbjerg need to be the starters.
They both have the ability to go forward with the ball as well as track back on defense and make necessary tackles. Truly two box-to-box midfielders that can terrorize opponents and create opportunities for themselves and their teammates.
If Hojbjerg can continue his hot start and avoid diving he will have a very successful season and teams around the Premier League will know who he is.