Describing the player as 'dependable' and 'reliable,' Daily Echo journalist Alfie House has urged Saints' striker Adam Armstrong to stay and fight for his place in the team. House named the player as one to have on the bench, while appearing on the Total Saints Podcast.
In a segment on the show titled 'keep-bench-sell,' the co-hosts were invited to choose between Armstrong, Cameron Archer and Ben Brereton-Diaz. Each of the presenters were asked the same question and all three of them arrived at the same conclusion: that Armstrong should be the one that sits on the bench.
House prefers Cameron Archer to Adam Armstrong
House argued that Archer is just ahead of Armstrong as he has greater pace and was brought in for a lot of money. However, he made his feelings clear that Armstrong should be retained ahead of Brereton-Diaz.
"He [Armstrong] is reliable. He is dependable. He has got decent character. He challenges the manager at times. I could have him in the squad. He would score goals at that level."Alfie House (Total Saints Podcast: 324)
Armstrong's strike-rate in the Championship is not in any doubt. The former Under-20 World Cup winner has scored 21 goals in 46 appearances in the Championship for Saints, in addition to 13 assists. During Southampton's promotion season Armstrong bagged 24 goals, including the winner in the play-off final at Wembley.
Selling Armstrong to a rival Championship club could be a huge mistake
Southampton cannot really afford to sell Armstrong to a rival Championship club. Allowing such fire-power to be unleashed against them could be a huge mistake in a promotion race. In an ideal world, with the club reportedly willing to let the player leave this summer, Saints would receive bids from outside of the Championship.
Unsurprisingly, there have been rumours linking Armstrong with moves to both Norwich and Middlesbrough, although nothing concrete has been reported. Boro, according to The Telegraph, almost signed the Saints marksman in January, on deadline day, but the player opted for a move to West Bromwich Albion instead.
Answering the same question as House, Total Saints podcast presenter, Glen de la Cour, expressed concern that Armstrong may not be the player he once was and that his time out on loan at WBA had not been convincing.
"Adam Armstrong we know can [score] 25 goals a season in the Championship but that six months on loan at West Brom in the second half of last season is a bit of an alarm."Glen de la Cour - (Total Saints Podcast)
Armstrong could only muster three goals at the Hawthorns
Armstrong could only muster three goals in 16 appearances at the Hawthorns in a loan spell that saw Albion drop out of the play-off places, ultimately finishing ninth. For Armstrong personally, he spent more time on the bench than on the pitch as the season drew to a close.
As Saints reportedly prepare a bid for Cologne's Damion Downs, there may be little room left in the squad come pre-season, and keeping Armstrong might be viewed as a luxury.
However, if Southampton do find a way of keeping their 2024 play-off hero, Armstrong could prove to be a useful player to have around. One imagines that he would be an excellent mentor to the younger players in the squad who may not have experienced playing in the EFL Championship. Not only that, Armstrong is one of the few players in the current squad who knows how to score goals in the division.