Wesley Hoedt in Dutch colours
Photo: Premier League
Hoedt an example of fragile mentality at Southampton
by Conor Dunford
Mentality may be a cause for concern at Southampton as they slipped to a 3-0 defeat at Anfield this weekend, but it was the performance not the result that has some Saints fan concerned.
A large portion of the fanbase were expecting a negative result against one of the most dangerous attacking sides in all of Europe, so a 3-0 reverse is not a surprise to many. But what Southampton fans do expect from a performance is fight, heart and desire.
This lack of fall three is something that many fans of the South Coast club have thrown at a raft of players over recent years. Even the on field captain, Ryan Bertrand, fails to convince some of his commitment to the cause, with his seemingly petulant attitude on the pitch.
The optimism both on and off the pitch has been worn away by the consistent sale of star players, the frequent change in management and the tantrums thrown by wantaway stars such as Jose Fonte and Virgil van Dijk. Confidence has been knocked by poor runs of form, poor management and a subsequent poor reaction from the St Marys faithful.
So it comes as no surprise that under Mark Hughes, Southampton continually fail to hold on to leads, and look dead and buried as soon as they go a goal behind. Since the international break, they have let a two goal home advantage against Brighton slip and finish the game 2-2, and this weekend looked abject and completely defeated after a 10th minute own goal from Wesley Hoedt put Liverpool 1-0 up.
From the on out, the game was over. Hoedt had the shred of confidence he had drained from his very being. His determination to put right the wrong led to him aimlessly chasing the ball into no man’s land on several occasions and making rash tackles, hoping to impress. His head had well and truly gone, putting his defensive partner Jannik Vestegaard under immense pressure, leaving him somewhat exposed to the pace and quality of the fluid Liverpool attack.
The Dutch international is a prime example of the fragile mentality at the club at the moment. At 24 he is still a project for the manager, with 4-5 years of learning the trade until he reaches his peak. But the expectation from fans and the pressure he puts on himself to be the replacement for van Dijk has led to him making numerous glaring errors in his time at the club.
After the years of sliding down the table and the style of football deteriorating from the envy of the league to a Tony Pulis masterclass has shredded the fan patience. This short fuse held by many of the fans is released as a backlash towards any player who makes a mistake on the pitch, Hoedt is one who has been lambasted for months for the errors he has caused.
The mentality at the club gives off the feeling to the fans that the team is defeated as soon as the whistle is blown. Southampton lack leaders, lack passion and lack someone to grab his teammates by the neck and force them to work, force them to show they care. Be it a captain, be it the manager, someone needs to stand up and be counted, because despite sitting in 14th place on the table, they are far from being safe of a relegation battle, again.
