Former Southampton legend, Kelvin Davis, has come out in support of Southampton's goalkeeping duo of Gavin Bazunu and Alex McCarthy.
With January around the corner, Southampton’s goalkeeping situation is once again under the microscope but this time, it feels unavoidable. Loan links to Anthony Patterson and Daniel Peretz might have been played down by Tonda Eckert, but among supporters the message is loud and clear: Saints need a new number one.
Kelvin Davis doesn’t agree. The former Saints goalkeeper has publicly backed Gavin Bazunu and Alex McCarthy, suggesting the club already has two strong options and that continuity under a new manager should be prioritised. Respectfully, that’s where he’s wrong.
This isn’t about sentiment, loyalty, or wanting players to fail; it’s about evidence. Saints have the second-worst save percentage in the Championship.
Only one team are worse than Southampton between the sticks
Only QPR are performing worse between the posts, and just three clean sheets all season underline the problem. These aren’t minor blips; they’re systemic issues that are costing the team valuable points.
Bazunu may have regained the position under Eckert, but he’s conceded 11 goals in 8 league games since the first team Head Coach took up the reins as interim.
McCarthy, meanwhile, has been a reliable servant to the club, but at this stage of his career he is a backup. He is not a goalkeeper to build a promotion push around. Saying Saints have “two strong goalkeepers in the building” ignores what Saints fans have all been witnessing this season.
Davis’ argument that competition already exists doesn’t really stand up either. Rotating between two keepers who are both underperforming doesn’t create competition, it just creates uncertainty.
Real competition comes from raising the standard, not hoping one of the current options suddenly finds his form.
Continuity is not the most important factor right now
Continuity under a new manager is important, but not at the expense of results. Eckert has already shown he’s willing to make bold calls elsewhere, and the goalkeeper position should be no different. If anything, this is the area where decisive action would have the biggest impact in the shortest time.
Bazunu undeniably has ability, and McCarthy’s experience is valuable. But, potential and past service don’t win Championship matches. Performances do. And right now, Saints are not getting enough from either goalkeeper.
The key issue with Bazunu is his inablity to claim high crosses effectively. McCarthy's achilles heel is his weakness under pressure with the ball at his feet.
The loan market offers a low-risk solution. Bringing in someone like Patterson or Peretz wouldn’t be an act of desperation; it would be an acknowledgement that what’s currently in place isn’t working. If anything, it would protect Bazunu, relieve pressure, and give Eckert a genuine benchmark to judge his options.
Kelvin Davis speaks from the perspective of a former goalkeeper. He's understandably protective of the position. But from a supporter’s point of view, this is about the bigger picture. Saints are leaking goals, confidence is fragile, and the margins in the Championship are unforgiving.
Monitoring the situation for another six weeks feels like more of the same. January is an opportunity to fix a glaring issue, not hope it resolves itself. If Saints are serious about pushing on this season, backing the status quo in goal simply isn’t good enough.