Southampton 1-2 Cardiff City: Premier League – Three Match Takeaways
By Joe Mcindoe
Transfer Window Complacency May Haunt the Saints
With the decision not to sign anyone, and to loan or sell experienced personnel the club made two irrevocable statements. The first, being that the downsize squad, for all its faults is good enough to stay up. The second by extension, is that there are at least three teams worse than the South coast side.
The result against Cardiff, not to mention Burnley’s win over Brighton, calls both beliefs into question. Southampton once again conceded late to drop their share of the valuable points. Needless defensive mistakes again proved the difference, and strikers failed to take advantage of big opportunities.
None of these issues are new, none of them are revelations. It’s regrettable and not to mention confusing that the club has been so blasé about the state of affairs.
In his interview with BBC Radio Solent the gaffer stated: “without a clean sheet, I was telling you (Adam Blackmore) before the game, it would be difficult to stay in the league, and how easy the opponent can score against us. It’s absolutely too easy…”.
To be fair to the back line Jan Bednarek has certainly performed excellently and has been every bit the Premier League defender the Saints have required. His Centre Back partners have also improved their game with a willingness to get stuck in.
Unfortunately, Hasenhüttl’s side have shown a tendency to make mental mistakes or exploitable weaknesses within their game. The January transfer window provided an excellent opportunity to find Premier League experience and quality.
With Southampton’s famed black box system, surely a defender of that criteria had to be on the radar. Premier League experience does not come cheap, especially in the mid-season transfer window, but very occasionally needs must.
The team as currently constructed has continually struggled to see out games and bringing in fresh experience could have been invaluable. Even the worst teams are richly rewarded by the lucrative Premier League set up.
A £30M Centre Back might seem like a lot, but when compared to the hundred million handed out at the end of the season, it’s a drop in the ocean. SFC’s transfer policy also leaves a lot to be desired upfront.
Keen observers of the championship will have noticed that a certain Che Adams scored a hat-trick for current side Birmingham city. Southampton were linked with the front man but opted to hold what they have.
What they currently have is, a Striker who can just about manage one in a blue moon, (Shane Long) another who is out of form and favour, (Charlie Austin) and a goalscorer who is continually affected by injury (Danny Ings).
It doesn’t take a fortuneteller to foresee that strikers who can’t score, probably won’t find a hatful, during the remainder of the season, while those with a history of injury will probably struggle to stay fit.
The decision not to bring in quality reinforcements could have been forgiven as an overly optimistic mistake, but for the fact that the organisation has form for this approach. Last season, the side struggle to defend, and struggle to score.
During the winter window Southampton brought in no one save for Guido Carrillo who offered nothing of note. The signing of Carrillo was seemingly made because an under pressure, Mauricio Pellegrino had worked with him in the past. Carrillo has to date failed to find the net for his employers and has been shipped out on loan. Instead, of using diligence to swell the ranks at both ends of the pitch, the club opted to panic buy a £19M underperformer.
Saints have once again mastered a special combination of being blind to the blatantly obvious and a lethal level of naivety. Only time will tell if the club lives to regret the actions not taken.