Southampton forward Ryan Fraser faces an intriguing situation, being left out of boss Ivan Juric's plans despite being fit. Is he on course to replicate Maxwel Cornet's situation?
There's a quote that sums up Southampton's squad situation aptly: "Removing a drop from a stormy sea changes nothing."
If you didn't get it, let me tell you. Remember the Saints' winter transfer window agenda? It was to cut off unnecessary squad thickness. Well, they did that with multiple player departures, but as the above quote puts it, their situation more or less, remains the same.
Even now, Southampton has a massive unutilized resource set available. And what that ultimately leads to is often more left-out situations.
Sadly, while ex-boss Russell Martin did this with Maxwell Cornet, his successor Ivan Juric is repeating the same with Ryan Fraser.
Believe it or not, the previous season's Saints hero has had negligible game time in around 3 months under Juric. Though Fraser has been injured in between, he isn't given comeback chances even now.
Southampton scare major squad overhaul given Fraser's situation
Topping it all comes recent boss Ivan Juric's response that hints he might have given up on the winger already. As quoted by the Daily Echo, upon being asked if Fraser has received the medical green light but doesn't play, Juric said: "That's it."
Still, know what's more concerning? Currently, we talk of Ryan Fraser but the same has been the case with Nathan Wood, Charlie Taylor, Adam Lallana and some others.
To note, all these players have struggled for game time after boss Juric's arrival. Naturally, chances are at least a few of them demand a summer exit upon receiving such ignorance in the Saints' setup.
In case this happens, Southampton's hardships further grow. Already prone to losing key players, the exit of these backup stars may force the club to start afresh squad building next season.
Believe it or not, Southampton risk a disastrous squad overhaul continuing with boss Juric. Given he leaves, maybe things improve.