Southampton's woes this season are widely recognized. While some may say it's quality issues, as per boss Juric, their poor squad planning has been it's major cause.
Well, by this time every English football fan knows Southampton's troubling situation. En course towards the worst points total ever, the Saints undergo a season to forget.
But, hey, have you ever thought why so? Well, if you ask me, it's due to their squad issues.
You might agree on this, Southampton players haven't been able to complement each other well. Though some of them possess high quality, their on-field chemistry has felt dangling.
And you know what? That's something, not a manager can resolve. The squad has to adapt to each other's strengths and weaknesses themselves.
That said, it wouldn't be entirely correct to argue that Jurić had no scope for improvement. But, instead, he has negatively impacted the situation with some rigid calls.
And the result? While such issues prevailed in Southampton's defence, now it has transmitted to their attack as well.
The recent example of forward Cameron Archer captures this perfectly.
Southampton's weird planning keeps out top scorer Cameron Archer
You might know Archer has been Southampton's top scorer this season. Still, he starts on rare occasions due to Juric's stubborn tactics again.
Recently, as quoted by the Daily Echo, Juric spoke about Archer, admitting: “He likes attacking the space when sometimes I prefer the players that are there for the ball, like Brighton do with the two forwards.”
That's why, despite being a significant scorer, Archer is often subdued by teammate Paul Onuachu.
Now, in an ideal world, the Archer-Onuachu duo may work together. One a pacey forward and the other a classic target man, it is an exciting option, but in reality, it remains to be tested frequently.
Clearly, after neglecting such choices, one can't blame to be a relegation favorite. Let's see if anything changes while Juric is at the Saints or a new era is ready to call him out.