Ivan Juric's vocal concern about Paul Onuachu's poor fatigue comes true as the forward succumbs to an injury just a month after signing for Trabzonspor.
With the win against allies Valenciannas, it's been 3/3 friendly wins for Southampton in a row now. But more than the victory itself, the supporters would be content with the redemption of some out-of-favour stars, like Cameron Archer.
Having scored in each game, Archer's form has reignited confidence among the fans for the season ahead. To the extent that St. Mary's is hopeful for a Paul Onuachu-like turnaround for the 23-year-old.
But intriguingly, while Archer's scoring has seen an upward trajectory lately, it's been the exact opposite for his previous fellow centre-forward, Paul Onuachu.
That's because, contrary to the expectations of a permanent Trabzonspor switch, a Turkish re-spell has begun the worst way for Onuachu. And in an incident no one saw coming, the 31-year-old has incurred an injury in the preseason itself.
Recently, the Daily Echo reflected on Onuachu's fitness, who had to be forced off the ground in Trabzonspor's friendly fixture against Araz. Plus it's not ruled out that the ex-Saint might be missing the first few games of the upcoming season.
Honestly, this update will upset a fair share of the Saints fans for Onuachu. But at the same time, they would be grateful to their fate for their current stance on this Onuachu incident.
Saints owe ex-boss Juric a thanks for his Onuachu prediction
It's because, while Onuachu's injury comes unforeseen, Saints fans won't be shocked to see this happening. Having seen the forward succumb to injury issues frequently, and having followed ex-boss Ivan Juric's previous take on the player's recovery, they knew Onuachu's fatigue issues were bound to resurface.
In fact, to the Saints, it's been just a case of timing that has benefitted them while costing Trabzonspor. Just imagine the setback Southampton would have endured in the preseason if they still held on to Onuachu.
But thankfully, the Saints' instinct, influenced by former boss Juric, proves true as despite a losing sale, they prove to be the winners of Onuachu's Turkish exit.
To reflect, Southampton fans rarely had any memorable moments during Juric's tenure. Yet, this Paul Onuachu saga, right from his emergence to his sale, has been the ex-boss' masterclass that helped the Saints in ways they didn't see happening.
Well, with some flops like Ben Brereton Diaz still present at St. Mary's, the job is far from over. Yet, the fans confide in Will Still as he looks determined to repeat his early Cameron Archer story with other out of fallen stars too.