It was another difficult day at the office for Southampton on Saturday.
The Saints faced West Ham at St Mary’s as they looked to pull themselves out of the relegation zone. Considering the Hammers had won just one of their last 11 before this clash, it was the perfect opportunity for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side to pick up a much-needed three points. However, they could only lose 1-0 in the end, courtesy of a Sebastien Haller goal.
There were some particularly disappointing performances amongst the former RB Leipzig boss’ men, one of which was £11.7m-valued Ryan Bertrand – as per Transfermarkt. The 30-year-old is one of the team’s most senior players, but he was far from at his best this weekend.
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The 2012 Champions League winner was poor defensively, managing just one interception and one tackle whilst also being dribbled past on two separate occasions. Of the five duels he took part in, both aerially and on the ground, he won just two.
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Going forward, there wasn’t much to write home about either. He did manage to land two successful crosses, but he failed to complete a single dribble or have a shot of any kind. Along with the zero key passes and an 80% passing accuracy, it was a day to forget for the 19-time England international.
The Saints are in a very difficult situation at the foot of the table. So far, they have picked up just 15 points from 18 games, and have shipped a league-high 36 goals. Hasenhuttl needs players he can rely on, and usually Bertrand would be towards the top of the list. This term, though, he has a WhoScored rating of just 6.33. Only six players in the whole squad have managed less.
As we approached the second half of the campaign and a busy Christmas, Bertrand really needs to step up his level. Otherwise, Southampton could be staring relegation to the Championship directly in the face.
In other news, this man could solve one problem for Ralph Hasenhuttl.
