This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
£15m move in the summer and six consecutive Premier League starts at the beginning of the season, but it’s fair to say that things have gone downhill for Che Adams since Ralph Hasenhuttl’s initial placement of faith in him.
No goals in his opening seven appearances in all competitions saw him dropped from the squad entirely against Tottenham Hotspur at the end of September, and he’s barely played in the Premier League since.
He has featured for a total of 20 minutes since, and having been in the matchday 18 for five consecutive top flight games, Hasenhuttl made the call to leave him out again against Arsenal on Saturday.
It surely would have been a big blow for the former Birmingham City man when he saw Michael Obafemi earn just the second Premier League start of his career at the Emirates, with Nathan Redmond, Sofiane Boufal, Moussa Djenepo and Shane Long all included too by their Austrian manager.
The fine form of Danny Ings, who now has seven goals in his last eight outings, has hardly helped matters, but the weekend made it clear exactly where the 23-year-old lies in the pecking order right now.
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Hasenhuttl came out and said after Adams was omitted against Spurs that he would “give him a lot of trust”, before saying “he is now in a better way” prior to the 9-0 thrashing by Leicester City – reassuring words.
The former RB Leipzig boss’ latest decision suggests he has turned his back on Adams for now though, with Ings, Obafemi and Long all selected ahead of him against the Gunners.
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He may still have a role to play in the upcoming busy run of fixtures ahead of the festive period, and what important fixtures they are too against the likes of Watford, Norwich City and Aston Villa – all clubs in and around Southampton in the Premier League table as things stand.
Adams will hope to get that all-important goal during that run, but if he doesn’t then him and the club may well have a decision to make in the New Year – a loan exit could be a potential option in order for him to regain some confidence.
In other news, Southampton fans have been discussing a £20m-rated target who scored twice at the weekend…