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Southampton Fan View: Pellegrino has several selection dilemmas ahead of West Brom
Nothing less than a win will do for Southampton when they welcome West Brom on Saturday.
Saints currently sit in 11th place, narrowly behind this weekend’s counterparts, and are in desperate need of some inspiration as they look to get out of their recent rut, which has seen them fail to win in their last three games.
Last weekend, Mauricio Pellegrino fielded a somewhat experimental line-up. Manolo Gabbiadini returned to the side to make up what looked to be a 4-4-2 shape in the first half, before more fluidity was incorporated into the system in the second half.
Gabbiadini was back in the goals up top alongside Shane Long, and netted two exceptionally well-taken strikes. It was good to see a proper goalscorer back in the side, even if the performance from Saints was below par to say the very least.
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It goes without saying that the Italian must start. However, Pellegrino undoubtedly has a few selection dilemmas he must get right against West Brom if Saints are to pull themselves out of this concerning spell.
In his recent two cameo appearances, Sofiane Boufal has particularly impressed. The unpredictable Moroccan international has not quite lived up to expectations since his arrival on the south coast, but is without a doubt a talented player. Along with this, he’s the only player in Saints’ squad who can commit defenders and penetrate the wide spaces through take-ons.
Nathan Redmond is a player who is seriously struggling at the moment, and it’d be beneficial for all parties if he was benched for this one. The young winger is in treacherous form, and could do with both a mental and physical rest. When one door closes, another opens, and Boufal deserves his chance to impress.
Another conundrum for Pellegrino to consider is just where Steven Davis fits in. Saints are quite clearly a better side when he’s playing, and that showed against Newcastle given our lack of fluency without him keeping things ticking over.
Davis is absolutely paramount to the way Saints play, and has been for years now. He was effective when he came on against Newcastle and absolutely has to be recalled to the side. The question is, who for?
I personally don’t expect Pellegrino to continue with two up front, and I think that Davis’ influence cannot be underestimated. It would come as no surprise to see the 4-2-3-1 system make a return, with Davis replacing Shane Long, Dusan Tadic, or Redmond.
Pellegrino cannot even consider dropping Manolo Gabbiadini.
The next selection dilemma comes in the defensive setup. Since Virgil van Dijk has come back into the fold, he has been the preferred choice next to Maya Yoshida, with Wesley Hoedt being benched and Jack Stephens unfairly being excluded from the matchday squads.
Last weekend’s defensive performance certainly wasn’t the best. It wasn’t either of Van Dijk or Yoshida’s fault specifically, but questions have been asked recently regarding whether Hoedt is considered as a first choice. He was signed for big money from Lazio in the summer and has impressed in his opening few displays.
However, it appears Pellegrino favours Yoshida over Hoedt, and is likely to stick with him against the Baggies. I’d personally like to see Hoedt and Van Dijk starting together.
Sentiment aside, the two Dutch internationals make up our strongest centre-back partnership.
There is also a decision to make regarding who starts in goal. Fraser Forster and Alex McCarthy are both available, but neither are convincing at the moment.
Forster enjoyed a good spell of games against Crystal Palace, Manchester United and Stoke. However, as has been the case for some time now, his inconsistency got the better of him, and he produced a pretty shambolic display against Newcastle. It’s high time that Forster is dropped, but would bringing McCarthy in be an upgrade?
The ex-Reading goalkeeper was caught napping on the ball in Saints Under-23s’ recent 6-2 win over Newcastle, failing to help his pursuit of the No.1 shirt at the club.
It could be a case of choosing between the lesser of two evils regarding Forster and McCarthy, and I wouldn’t like to be in Pellegrino’s shoes when it comes to this one.
Tactically, Saints have to be spot on against a well-drilled West Brom side. But first and foremost, Pellegrino must ensure that he gives the team the best possible chance of winning by playing the strongest defensive unit possible, along with innovation and cutting edge going forward.
