This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
Former Southampton centre-back Jose Fonte has been speaking to talkSPORT about the Saints’ turbulent campaign so far, and has also shared a pretty damning verdict on manager Ralph Hasenhuttl’s credentials.
Fonte – a 40-cap Portugal international and European Championship winner – spent seven years at St Mary’s before leaving for West Ham in a deal worth £8m, having previously handed in a transfer request.
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The 35-year-old – who made a huge 286 appearances for the south coast side – has been discussing his former side’s tough campaign so far, in which they currently sit one point off the bottom of the table having also conceded the most goals in the Premier League with 29.
What did he say?
Fonte told talkSPORT: “It’s difficult to watch this struggle. This was a team and a club that was in such great shape a few years ago. We were consistently achieving top-six, top-ten finishes.
“I think they’re in a bad way, it’s easy to see for everyone. The manager, he doesn’t look like he’s capable of turning things around. I’m not really sure if he can do the job to be honest.”
Good to see some brutal honesty
For too long, those associated with Southampton have been treading on eggshells in regards to the sticky situation the Saints find themselves in.
Hasenhuttl keeps playing players out of position, having deployed midfielders Stuart Armstrong and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg at right and left wing-backs respectively so far this season – maybe he is to blame, a shout that hasn’t been heard too much this season.
Fonte states that the Saints are “in a bad way”. That much is obvious. The team can’t stop conceding goals – Southampton ship 2.4 goals per game on average in the Premier League this term – and they also can’t seem to score them either. For context, they are the third-lowest scorers in the division with 11.
If Fonte, who hasn’t been at the club in years, can see the glaring issues going on, why can’t those at St Mary’s see them too and do something about them?
It’s time to stop tiptoeing around the real issues at the club.
In other news, Hasenhuttl has identified one key thing his Southampton team need to get back to doing.
