Yesterday's extra-time win over Leicester City in the FA Cup fourth round will not linger long in the memory, not from a footballing perspective anyway.
However, the fixture gave Head Coach Tonda Eckert the opportunity to give full debuts to both George Long and Cyle Larin. Perhaps even more significantly, it allowed him to start Oriol Romeu for the first time since his return to the club as a free agent in November.
Romeu lined up alongside Cameron Bragg in midfield. Flynn Downes, Shea Charles and Caspar Jander weren't even on the bench, underlining the significance of that trio to Southampton's promotion push.
Romeu is the archetypal number six
It didn't take the Spaniard long to remind Saints fans what they had been missing since he left the club for Girona in 2022.
Romeu is the archetypal number six. He patrols the space in front of the back four like a tiger, blocking passing lanes and smothering the opposition like a fire blanket.
Happy to receive the ball in tight areas, the veteran midfielder is always available for a pass under pressure. In doing so, Romeu rarely gets caught in possession or gives the ball away cheaply. Simply by receiving the ball under pressure, he is usually able to create space for others.
Even when Romeu is not in possession, he is a leader, directing others and orchestrating patterns of play. If you watch him off the ball, you'll see him pointing and gesturing to teammates, waving them forward or indicating where the ball should go next.
The Spaniard is a leader who likes to get 'stuck in'
Kick-off: NEXT 👏 pic.twitter.com/43y51Bkwid
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) February 14, 2026
Saints fans will recall that the Spaniard was never one to shy away from a confrontation, and yesterday was a reminder of that. Romeu refused to give Leicester's Caleb Okoli any space in the six-yard box during an attacking corner in the first half, forcing the referee to delay the corner kick as he spoke to both players.
It's fair to say that the Spaniard still has no pace. But his positional sense and intelligence buy him more time than he often needs to have an impact.
Yesterday, he made a string of important tackles in and around the edge of the Southampton penalty area. He made two blocks, two interceptions and three tackles in the sixty minutes he was on the pitch. Making passes at an average of one every two minutes, he gave up possession just once.
It is clear to see that Romeu helps players around him to be better, and it's reassuring to see him in the team surrounded by players on the fringes of the first-team.