Football writer Glen de la Cour has questioned Ralph Hasenhuttl after he started Shane Long over Adam Armstrong in Southampton’s last game.
The Saints came back from 2-o down to claim a point against Brighton and Hove Albion on the weekend with two fine James Ward-Prowse efforts stealing the show.
As things stand, the club sit 13th in the table and are in no threat to go down, nor do they look capable of challenging for a spot in Europe with just four games left to play this season.
With so little to play for, De la Cour wondered why Hasenhuttl chose to play 35-year-old Long against the Seagulls, ahead of the club’s £15m striker Armstrong.
Speaking on the Total Saints podcast, he said: “Surely Shane [Long] has got to be leaving in the summer, I would be amazed if he’s not. So on the face of it, it makes no real sense why he’s playing.
“But yeah, it has to be something that we don’t know about. Either training ground performance, maybe Adam Armstrong is carrying an injury. Who knows?
“It’s a strange one. It certainly doesn’t make sense to me.”
TIF thoughts on Shane Long, Adam Armstrong and Southampton…
Considering Long will see his contract expire in the summer, and is now in the twilight of his career, it does seem usual to play him in a near-meaningless game when the development of Armstrong would make more sense.
Still only 25, Southampton fans will be hoping their £15m striker can improve next season as he has scored just twice in the league during his debut campaign with the club.
Would you start Shane Long over Adam Armstrong for the rest of the season?
Yes
No
Indeed, Armstrong hasn’t netted in November last year and with five appearances since January it might have been good for his confidence to get a start on the weekend. In the end, though, he was left on the bench completely.
As De la Cour says, it certainly is a ‘strange’ situation, perhaps there is something more complicated going on behind the scenes.
In other news: ‘Bizarre’ – Journalist claims Southampton ace ‘looks quite awkward’ after what he saw