Don Goodman issues his Shea Charles talent verdict to Will Still which may sound the end of Will Smallbone's future starter dream.
It's not even been a week since Shea Charles opened about starting alongside teammate Samuel Edozie and safe to say, the claim didn't age well. With Edozie closer to a Belgian return, Charles's dream feels unlikely to turn into reality any time soon.
Yet, intriguingly the same fear hasn't translated among the St. Mary's faithful. Having closely followed Charles' developments as he grew his contention for the Championship Player of the Season, fans know that his stay alone will boost their squad ahead of the next season.
But even if there was an inch of doubt harbouring, pundit Don Goodman's recent verdict has wiped it out.
Speaking to Football League World, Goodman issued a must-follow recommendation for the Saints to include Shea Charles in their next season plans. Goodman addressed Still, saying: "I think he will want to see Shea Charles in training, want to understand what Shea Charles can offer Southampton next season in the Championship, which I believe would be a lot."
Will Smallbone feels a definite loser from Goodman's Charles praise
Needless to say, this will sit well with Saints fans who want Shea Charles to return better after recent criticism. But while this statement feels a gain for the prodigy star's confidence, it is a definite loss for a struggling Saint.
He's none other than the overlooked academy graduate Will Smallbone.
That's because with Mateus Fernandes' stay, and Shea Charles' backing, Southampton are left with only one spot to fill in their midfield. But given the recent Flynn Downes update, Still might be helpless to avoid Downes and start Smallbone over him.
Well, that means another distress season loading for Will Smallbone whose fitness concerns have seen him far from a guaranteed starting spot despite completing 4 years with the first team now.
As of now, it's a speculation, but this can turn into reality soon. If that happens, Southampton will feel blessed to have a quality midfielder in Smallbone available on the bench. But will the 25-year-old be content with a limited role again? Let's see.