‘I Don’t Know How He’s Not Playing’ – Ex-Striker Stunned At Southampton Team Decision
Former Premier League attacker Troy Deeney has picked out a Southampton player he is stunned is not in Saints’ starting eleven.
The troubles of Ivan Juric’s men deepened further on Saturday when Bournemouth visited St Mary’s and eased to a comfortable 3-1 win.
Southampton’s only goal of the game came from Kamaldeen Sulemana, with Paul Onuachu providing the assist, with 18 minutes left of the Premier League contest.
Southampton’s highly rated attacker Tyler Dibling started the game on the bench and was only brought on with 56 minutes gone.
Ex-striker Deeney is stunned by Dibling’s omission from the side and believes the only explanation can be something tactical.
He stressed that without the attacker, Southampton pose no threat going forward and even compared the teenager to Jack Grealish when he was at Aston Villa.
Deeney said on talkSPORT’s GameDay Live: “I don’t know how he’s not playing. I don’t know why.
“It’s clearly got to be something tactical where the manager feels he does not add enough going the opposite way.
“But they’ve got nothing going forward without him.
“He gives me a little bit of Jack Grealish at Aston Villa, effortless going past people.”
The 18-year-old is not expected to stay at Southampton beyond the summer transfer window as he is hot property for a number of Premier League clubs.
Weirdest thing I’ve ever seen’ – Southampton scenes leave Troy Deeney in disbelief
It takes a lot to shock Troy Deeney but Bournemouth star Justin Kluivert nearly rendered him speechless.
Kluivert and his Cherries teammates are having a sensational season in the Premier League.
Their 3-1 win over Southampton was pretty much a foregone conclusion from the off.
First Dango Ouattara netted after 14 minutes and then barely 120 seconds later Ryan Christie made it 2-0 to the visitors at St Mary’s.
And Dutch star Kluivert, who assisted Christie’s goal, was clearly jubilant as the teams went off at half-time.
The forward left former Watford striker Deeney stunned while he was on reporting duty for talkSPORT.
Live on-air, Deeney said: “[Bournemouth] haven’t even got to a point yet where it feels like they’re about to take the handbrake off.
“They’re experimenting that for any little ball around the corner and a one-two, they’re in. And Southampton cannot keep up making these last-ditch tackles.
“I’ve counted five so far on my notes where it’s a last-ditch tackle. If they get that wrong either, they’re going through on goal 1v1 Bournemouth. Otherwise, a player’s being sent off. And it just cannot happen the way that it is.
