Southampton vs. Watford: Saints Player Ratings from Victory
Southampton had an exhilarating comeback victory on Saturday against Watford to secure three points and move closer to safety.
The match on Saturday was a truly a tale of two halves for the Saints as they looked quite terrible the first 45 then a whole lot better in the second.
Ralph, made two changes early in the second half that really changed the team and how they attacked and credit to him, those two changes probably won the match for the Saints.
With that said, let us take a look at the ratings from this match.
Manager, Goalkeeper, Defenders
Ralph Hasenhuttl – 7.5
The Austrian chose to go with his favored 4-2-2-2 formation and in the first half the team looked decent in spurts but lacked any sort of finishing product in Watford’s final third. The Saints controlled possession for most of the match but did not create any chances until the changes came in the second half.
Ralph, took Redmond off for Boufal and it turned out to be a masterstroke of a move as Boufal was electric on Saturday and made defender after defender look silly with his skill on the ball. Credit to Ralph for the adjustments and he was probably the most relieved man on earth getting those three points.
Alex McCarthy – 7.0
McCarthy, did not have the busiest afternoon but he commanded the defense well and made saves when it counted. He had a few sloppy moments in the first half but other than that it was a solid performance and he is unlikely to lose his spot between the sticks anytime soon.
Cedric – 5.5
The Portuguese International was very poor on Saturday and was actually replaced by Yan Valery when the team was still down 2-0 after Hasenhuttl saw one too many passes go astray. His performance was not encouraging whatsoever and would not be surprised if he was dropped for the Norwich match.
Jack Stephens – 6.5
Stephens, has been solid since he regained a spot in the starting XI. He has looked dedicated and seems to have formed a good partnership with Bednarek in the back. I still do not think he is a long-term answer in the backline but for right now he is holding it down well enough.
Jan Bednarek – 7.0
Badnarek, continues to be the best Centre-Back in the club it has just been a matter of who is the best to play alongside him. He is prone to mistakes here and there but he was quiet solid on Saturday and continues to lead the backline as Saints fight to get out of the relegation zone.
Ryan Bertrand – 6.5
Bertrand, did not have his best match on Saturday. He tried to create things going forward but ended with nothing to show for it. Both wingbacks were poor this match and it is an area they need improve if they want to continue winning
Midfielders
Moussa Djenepo – 8.5
The Man of the Match for Saints on Saturday Djenepo keeps proving his worth every time he steps onto the pitch. His ability to make defenders miss and get into dangerous areas led to the first goal and swung the momentum in favor of the Saints. The youngster has shown he is going to play a vital role in the Saints survival this season.
James Ward-Prowse – 7.0
Ward-Prowse hit an absolute gem of a free kick to win the match and collect all three points but did not contribute much to the match otherwise. He lacked an edge in the final third during open play and usual just passed backwards instead of looking for an incisive pass that could unlock the defense. Ward-Prowse has lacked a bit of an edge this season but hopefully his recent scoring streak turns his form around a little bit.
Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg – 7.0
Pierre was great in the defensive role and poor on the offensive side. He had some errant passes and did not look his normal self on the pitch. He had a much better second half compared to the first (most everyone did).
Nathan Redmond – 6.0
An uncharacteristically poor game from one of our most consistent players. He struggled to create anything and he seemed to have gotten a bit frustrated at himself. He got off a snap shot that had a chance to find the top corner but only to see it go over the crossbar. Hopefully this is a one off performance and we see the old Nathan Redmond return.
Hasenhuttl full of praise for Saints duo after Watford win. dark. Next
Forwards and Subs
Danny Ings – 8.0
Ings, where would we be without him? He scored yet again and seemed to be everywhere on the pitch. He does everything that Hasenhuttl asks of him and more. He has been one of the bright spots of the season and continues to find the back of the net one way or another.
Michael Obafemi – 5.5
Obafemi, does not seem ready to be a regular starter in the Premier League. He had zero shots and was just generally quite poor. Think it is time to give Che Adams another chance to prove his worth.
Sofiane Boufal – 7.25
Boufal, came on the pitch at the 57 minute mark for Nathan Redmond and immediately made an impact. His dribbling and creativity lead to the first goal and I would be willing to bet he will be starting on Wednesday.
Shane Long – 6.0
The Irishman replaced fellow countrymen Obafemi at the 57 minute mark as well. His pace caused some issues for the Watford defenders but did not have much of an impact on the match. Again, I believe it is time to give Che Adams another shot.
Yan Valery – 6.5
Valery came on for Cedric in the 76th minute and was a vast improvement over Cedric. He was solid defensively and going forward and will give Hasenhuttl something to think about when he picks the starting XI for Wednesday.