Southampton supporters have seen a rotating cast of strikers start this season and it is about time that Hughes picks one and sticks with it.
There have been two constants this season, and that is Danny Ings starting and a serious lack of goals. With Mark Hughes confirmed to stay at the helm against Fulham in two weeks (the team that has conceded the most goals in the league) he will have some decisions to make to ensure the team can score enough to secure three points and get some breathing room for the bottom of the table.
Along with the inconsistent scoring another inconsistent this season has been Ings’ striking partner up top. Three other natural strikers have made starts this year for Hughes other than Ings and only one has found the back of the net, Gabbiadini.
The other two are well known to Saints fans and they are Charlie Austin, and Shane Long. Moving forward with the season, if Sparky continues to run two strikers, who creates the best partnership with Ings and who will light a spark that will get the Southampton attack rolling?
Manolo Gabbiadini
On Saturday, the Italian got a rare start this season and did not miss his opportunity to prove why he should be on the team sheet week in and week out. Gabbi, found himself starting out wide on the right instead of a more central position and looked absolutely comfortable being there. He worked hard on both offense and defense collecting 4 shots, 2 tackles, and 2 interceptions to go along with his first goal of the season in a performance many supports having been yearning to see from an attacking player this year.
Being only the fourth player to score this season for the Red and White, Gabbiadini has made it hard for Hughes not to include him in a game against a vulnerable Fulham. In his appearances this season, the 26-year-old has shown a hunger to play and an attacking attitude of taking on shots other players on the team refuse to take and finding himself in attacking positions to be picked out by teammates.
Manolo Gabbiadini, is the best choice for Hughes moving forward to continue playing alongside, Ings. The two strikers have shown chemistry working together and the runs the Italian is capable of making opens up the rest of the pitch for the Englishman. Ings, tweaked his hamstring early in the match last Saturday forcing him to be subbed off for fellow Englishman Charlie Austin, but gave fans something to be excited about with an Ings, Gabbiadini partnership.
Not only did he prove he should start every week in the Premiership but that he is also versatile and not just limited to being a center forward.
Charlie Austin
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Austin, who is unlucky to not be on the scoresheet after the last match, offers a much different style of play compared to Gabbi. He is a good header of the ball and is a physical player who relies on his teammates to get him the ball in attacking positions to score. Southampton though, have struggled to provide service to their strikers over the past two seasons and that is one cause of the goal scoring difficulties.
Without the ability to create his own shot Austin limits himself and the team in what they can do in the final third of the pitch. The former QPR man also seems to have a bit of trouble staying onsides throughout a match which can disrupt the rhythm of a team and stymie attacks just when they are starting to looking dangerous.
However, Austin does seem to find himself in the right place at the right time when the club seems they need a goal the most. For example, in the cup match against Brighton, Charlie heads home the winning goal in the closing stages of the match to secure a trip into the next round of the Carabao cup.
Austin seems to work best in a substitute role. When he comes on and only needs to put in a 20-30 minute shift on the pitch he attacks the ball and breathes fresh air into the Saints’ attack. Moving forward, the best place for him is on the bench and coming on in the late stages of the match to poach a goal when the club needs to steal a result.
Shane Long
The Irishman has yet to find the scoresheet this season in 9 appearance and this underlines his struggles finding the back of the net over the last couple of seasons. Long, possibly works the hardest out of his attacking peers and finds himself in great positions to score most matches he makes an appearance in, but he can never seem to put the ball past the keeper. Whether he blasts it wide or straight into the keeper, Shane Long just does not seem to have that finishing touch that is required to be a regular goal scorer in the English Premier League.
He has endeared himself to supports for his work rate but with his fellow country man nipping at his heels (Michael Obafemi), and Gabbiadini looking more dangerous, Shane Long may find himself the odd man out simply because he cannot score.
Outside of his lack of scoring, Long does everything else correctly. He presses well on defense, he makes great runs, and holds the ball up well. Unfortunately, without anyone else on the team scoring consistently, Hughes will look to go with the hot hand and currently that would be the duo of Danny Ings and Manolo Gabbiadini.
When the Fulham match rolls around, it will be a great insight into who Mark Hughes feels confident in and if they can actually score because if this team is to stay out of relegation they are going to have to score against the team that may end up conceding the most goals in a single Premier League season.