Southampton: Boufal has proved many Saints fans right – and many wrong
By Marc Walker
When it became clear that Sofiane Boufal was going to return to Southampton for the 2019/20 season, there was a mixed reaction amongst the club’s fans.
Some were delighted that they would get to see the Moroccan’s skill and creativity at St Mary’s once again, whilst others weren’t sure whether he would fit into the style that Ralph Hasenhuttl is trying to put in place.
However – after eight appearances in all competitions, including five starts – it appears that the 26-year-old is part of the way to proving some of us right and some of us wrong.
Speaking about his reintegration to the Saints squad to southamptonfc.com, Boufal said:
"“All people make mistakes – the most important thing is not the mistake, but how you react to the mistake. I think I’ve reacted well. I was looking at what was good and what was not good, and I progressed like that. All people make mistakes, but now I am more mature, more calm and ready to smash the Premier League."
For this turnaround in fortunes, Boufal deserves a lot of credit.
He’s had to back down from his stance, has realised that Saints can help him out now and that he can help his team out.
A reported falling out with Mark Hughes saw him shipped out on loan to Celta Vigo in Spain for the 2018/19 campaign, and that would have been the end for many players.
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But when Hughes was replaced by Ralph Hasenhuttl last December though, Boufal would have seen a chance to get back into the Premier League.
Hasenhuttl said that he wanted to give all of Saints’ loanees a chance to impress and prove their worth when they returned for pre-season, and this chance was duly taken.
The Saints boss clearly wanted more creators available to him and more options to look to over the course of the season, but would Boufal suit the pressing style that was to be brought in?
After watching him in his early days with the club, I certainly had my doubts.
The talent was clearly there and he had a superb ability to dribble past players, but I didn’t see him running tirelessly to close down the opposition.
However, I’m delighted that he has proved me wrong so far. There’s energy and pace to his play, and he seems willing to do the extra running that is now required of him.
Having proved doubters wrong, it is also clear that he has backed up the beliefs of those who thought he still had a future at the club.
His skill on the ball made him a player that some Saints fans craved to have back playing at St Mary’s each week and his traits are a big boost overall.
Boufal has managed to register two Premier League assists so far this season and he will need to keep actively contributing to confirm his worth, but the early signs are that he is back and meaning business.