After being at error in the Aston Villa game, Tyler Dibling has stepped up his defensive contribution, earning Simon Rusk's praise against Man City.
Tell me honestly, isn’t football’s timing and its way of rewarding players just baffling sometimes? See how, in around a week, Southampton went from their hopes shattered to seeing it rebuilt even better.
Just last weekend, after a demoralising Leicester defeat, Southampton seemed closer than ever to the worst team tag. And now, here they are, free of all such thoughts, after an unimaginable draw against Man City.
Yet, the surprise is that if that loss sank the St. Mary's faithful in a tank of grief, this 0-0 result has given them an ocean of happiness now.
This is because, in addition to the Derby's total crossed, Southampton had another reason to celebrate, in Tyler Dibling's comeback.
After seeing a tumultuous period under Ivan Juric, Dibling looked like a shadow of his usual self. So much so that, lacking in confidence, the teenager's laziness found him at the centre of Southampton's loss to Aston Villa last month.
But just when many might've considered giving up on Dibling, the 19-year-old has written an impressive comeback for himself.
Dibling shines with his defensive contribtions against Man City
Now, Dibling wasn't flashy in his usual attacking role, but the prodigy dropped a sensational defensive effort for the Saints. Dropping deep throughout the match, Dibling was crucial in restricting Man City from scoring with his on and off-the-ball movements.
Naturally, for this selfless team contribution, Dibling was praised aloud by interim boss Simon Rusk. As quoted by the Daily Echo, Rusk talked of Dibling's display, saying: "I thought his work rate to defend was outstanding. I'm pleased for him."
Well, this performance has added a new layer to Dibling’s game, one that prioritises the team's success first. Now, boss Rusk deserves the praise for introducing this different version to the fans, yet the role of Bednarek's rallying cry can't be ignored.
Hoping that with this success, Dibling returns with his usual flair in his attacking prowess too.