Southampton early season review: Danny Ings

Southampton’s final of  five summer  incomings came in the shape of English striker Danny Ings from Liverpool on transfer deadline day.

The transfer agreed with the Merseyside club was a loan deal for the 2018/19 season with a mandatory clause to buy the player for a total of £20 million that will officially be confirmed on the 1st of July 2019.

When the money does officially change hands, Ings will overtake Argentinian striker Guido Carrillo as the Saints record signing – who was signed in the January period for £19 million from AS Monaco, and is currently out on loan to Spanish outfit Leganes.

The late addition of Ings is one most Saints fans were crying out for throughout the transfer window. The south coast side lack of goals have been the main factor in the back-to-back disappointing league seasons – with nobody in the entirety of the Southampton ranks getting into double figures in terms of goals in either campaign in all competitions.

In fact, the last time any player was able to get ten or more goals in a single season was in the 2015/16 campaign – where Graziano Pelle, Sadio Mane, and Shane Long all achieved double figures in the Premier League.

Danny’s ability to settle down south once again so quickly has come as a nice surprise – having not had a single pre-season fixture with any of his current team mates, and only a hand full of training sessions before his debut against former employers Burnley.

So far this season, the former-Burnley man has played in all four of Southampton’s league games, coming off the bench on one occasion. Out of the 271 minutes of league games that he has completed for the Saints, he’s scored twice  – with the most recent of those being a vital opening goal against Crystal Palace, helping the Saints on their way to their first three points of the season. From the few games we have played this season, its clear to see he will be playing as the ‘fox in the box’ – pouncing on loose balls with one touch finishes.

More from Saints Marching

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• Grading the Southampton Transfer Window Part 1: Departures
• It’s time to talk about Gavin Bazunu
• Rain clouds on the horizon? Southampton beat Plymouth Argyle
• A lament for Southampton legend James Ward-Prowse

With that sort of games to goal ratio – local boy Danny Ings would notch around 18 goals this season. For obvious reasons, that sort of tally is a very tall order for someone who has only played 13 games (with eight off the bench) in the previous three seasons due to injury problems – and doesn’t have the quality around him that players such as Sergio Aguero and Harry Kane do – so is more likely to aim for double figures in his first season in the red and white to get the ball rolling.

However, despite his injury problems,  there is a clear sign that his class is permeant and is a clear upgrade to the options up front before his addition. According to whoscored.com, the striker has averaged around 3.5 shots a game, over 1.5 more a game than any Saints player last campaign, and the equal fourth most in the entire league this season – an encouraging sign for the Southampton faithful – with a player such as Danny opting to shoot on sight and have the desire to get into dangerous areas of the field rather than feel the need to walk the ball into the net or not have the desire to bust a gut to get into the 18-yard-box.

His partnership with Shane Long up front this season has also impressed. Although not loved by a high percentage of the Southampton fan base, Long’s ability to chase down defenders and lose balls, knock the ball on, and run down the wings combines well with Ings clinical edge and be in the right place at the right time. Combined with this, the Saints depth in striking talent also pushes the men up front to their maximum and not let their game drop – with players such as Charlie Austin, Manolo Gabbiadini and Sam Gallagher all ready to step in when needed.

In terms of Danny Ings, Saints fans across the globe must me praying that the Southampton schoolboy does not fall to the ‘injured on form’ curse that has hit many a Saint in the past – with players such as Jay Rodriguez, Manolo Gabbiadini, and Charlie Austin never really getting back to the height of their pre-injury game after spending some time on the side-lines.

Despite it being very early on in the season, the England capped striker has already found himself as a fan favourite thanks to his goals on the pitch and words off the pitch that have made the fans smile (Times). As long as Danny stays fit for the majority of the season and keeps putting the ball in the net, the Saints should be able to surpass the expectation on a relegation battle and challenge for a top half place.

Early season grade – 8/10