Divin Mubama came on at the London Stadium with Southampton leading 3-2 and got just eight minutes, five touches and one more late cameo for the file. Over ten league games, he has played just 145 minutes in total and scored once, according to Saints Marching.
That is a paltry return for a season-long loan from Manchester City, agreed in the summer. The club's player announcement did not mention an option to buy or a recall clause.
Saints Marching named him the big loser from the West Ham win and suggested he could return to City if Southampton recruit a striker in January.
FotMob's season page highlights just how misleading player stats can be sometimes. Mubama tops the squad for shots per 90 minutes at 5.5 and is second for goals per 90 at 0.69.
He was not signed to sit on the bench. Last season he was on loan at Stoke City, where he made 28 appearances and scored five goals, including a hat-trick against Bristol City, before injury disrupted the spell. On his arrival at Southampton he said he believed in himself one hundred per cent.
Sporting director Johannes Spors described him as an extremely talented striker with previous Championship experience.
The case for Mubama to start
Why has it not happened for him at Southampton? The answer is primarily the order of the queue. Cyle Larin has seven goals and owns the shirt; Lewis Dobbin has just scored his first, and Eckert has preferred them both.
With Dobbin in form and Larin reportedly in contention to play on Saturday against QPR, Mubama may need to be even more patient.
There is a decent argument that a loan player should be given a run. A forward with 145 minutes in ten matches cannot build rhythm, and Manchester City sent him to Southampton to play, not to sit on the bench.
That does not make Eckert wrong. Southampton are sixth with a four-point deduction and the manager's job is to pick the side that has the best chance of winning. Dobbin led the line in London and delivered.
But the loan has a clock. If Mubama doesn't start by the new year, the club and Manchester City will want to talk about what happens next. That discussion would be easier if Mubama gets a
Mubama must earn his place in the team on merit. Aside from his debut goal, there has been little to suggest that he can challenge either Larin or Dobbin for a starting place. And, with Princewill Ehibhatiomhan scoring for fun in the academy there are already options elsewhere.
For now, the picture is clear. Mubama will continue to warm the bench unless Eckert really needs to use him. The January window will decide whether he gets more time, and Saints Marching have already suggested that his future lies elsewhere.
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