Southampton Fan View: Hughes should keep the faith in Gabbiadini for West Ham trip

Manolo Gabbiadini is a well-loved figure among the Southampton fans but no-one could escape the opinion that he a bit of a nightmare against Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup.

The Italian international was finally rewarded with a start in the quarter-final clash but failed to deliver in Mark Hughes’ first game as Saints boss. Gabbiadini looked lively throughout, however, he could not make the most of a gilt-edged opportunity in the second-half. This, coupled with an unfortunate penalty miss made for a day to forget for the ex-Napoli man.

Gabbiadini is clearly a player who is low on confidence. He has been treated poorly throughout the season due to Mauricio Pellegrino’s often incomprehensible man-management methods, by which impressive performances resulted in exclusion from the next starting line-up.

MATCH CENTRE: West Ham v Southampton

The 26-year-old has mustered up only four league goals all season but has been devoid of service. He is a unique player, whose strengths do not necessarily lie with his pace or strength but with his intelligence as a footballer and his instinctive nature.

Hughes faces his first Premier League game in charge of Saints this weekend, with the team ready to take on West Ham away from home. The encounter’s importance cannot be understated, with only two points separating the teams and Saints sitting in 18th place, one lower than their counterparts.

This is not a game that Saints can draw. A tie would only reflect this season’s shortcomings, and a defeat would be nothing short of unthinkable. Hughes has to set his side out to win this match and in doing so, he must select his most gifted attacking players.

Gabbiadini is arguably Saints’ most gifted striker. He is technically the most accomplished and has the ability to be a game-changing player. Charlie Austin is perhaps the club’s most natural goalscorer and he is a crucial player for the run-in towards the end of the season, however, there are question marks over his availability ahead of Saturday’s game.

After an undeniably underwhelming showing in front of goal at Wigan, it’d be easy for Hughes to withdraw Gabbiadini for the trip to the London Stadium. However, if you’re faced with dropping the under-performing Guido Carrillo or Gabbiadini, it’s a straightforward decision.

Encouragement could well be taken by Gabbiadini’s work off the ball in the Wigan clash. Although he fluffed his lines when presented with two clear-cut opportunities, the chances came as a result of his reading of the game. Gabbiadini won the penalty he missed due to penetrative running in behind; he has done this all season, however, his runs have not been spotted and taken advantage of by his teammates.

West Ham’s defence is a huge weakness of theirs and this is something that Saints absolutely have to exploit. The movement of Gabbiadini combined with his instincts in the area could wreak havoc among the Hammers’ defenders and it is this kind of game that the Italian striker could flourish in.

It’s not been an easy ride at Saints for Gabbiadini after his blistering start, but he is an absolutely vital player for the team and could be the difference between wins and losses. He will be important in Southampton’s bid for survival this season and Hughes must keep the faith in the Italian.