Gavin Bazunu G Standard Liege (loan from Southampton) b.2002

I think it's tricky to judge anyone in a team that dysfunctional. Even if you're doing everything right, some of the time you're going to be the guy who got overloaded by your teammates getting it wrong. It's also easy to get frustrated, up your work rate and start to play like a headless chicken, or demoralised and the opposite (because really, what's the point in expending knee cartilidge on an actually hopeless cause). Smallbone looked fine at Stoke. He's hardly suddenly a bad player, but this situation can't be good for his form in green.

That's how I see it.

Southampton won only nine of their 38 games in the 21/22 PL season, losing nine of their final twelve.

They carried this form into last season, where they of course became the first club relegated, finishing rock bottom.

So, they've been in a mess for a good two years now.

This absolutely has to be borne in mind at all times when judging Bazunu and evaluating his future prospects. And Manning and Smallbone, for that matter.

It can't be easy for him as a young, still developing player having to operate in such a shambolic, and increasingly heated, environment, and his confidence must be extremely low.

But, in a situation where Travers and O'Leary have been, by all accounts, very impressive playing at the same level, of course his Ireland starting place has to be called into question.

I just hope he comes through this as a stronger person. And, as I've stated previously, longer term, I think he'll be just fine.

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Originally Posted by Trequartista20

That's how I see it.

Southampton won only nine of their 38 games in the 21/22 PL season, losing nine of their final twelve.

They carried this form into last season, where they of course became the first club relegated, finishing rock bottom.

So, they've been in a mess for a good two years now.

This absolutely has to be borne in mind at all times when judging Bazunu and evaluating his future prospects. And Manning and Smallbone, for that matter.

It can't be easy for him as a young, still developing player having to operate in such a shambolic, and increasingly heated, environment, and his confidence must be extremely low.

But, in a situation where Travers and O'Leary have been, by all accounts, very impressive playing at the same level, of course his Ireland starting place has to be called into question.

I just hope he comes through this as a stronger person. And, as I've stated previously, longer term, I think he'll be just fine.

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Made that point when Bazunu was linked with Southampton. That they were a team only going in one direction. That run in they looked like a team that had given up and was surprised Hasenhuttl wasn't sacked that summer. When they didn't back him in the summer to bring in the players needed and instead spent big money on young prospects it was only going one way.

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Originally Posted by Jolly Red Giant

He could have done better - but again - the Southampton defence gave the ball away easily and then never closed down the shooter. Bazunu looked like he was caught on the wrong foot, but there was a lot of pace in the shot. The Southampton defence also imploded for the penalty - and Holgate has been a disaster so far. Bazunu did make a couple of decent saves but, like the rest of the Southampton team, he looked nervous yesterday.

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its a bad goal to concede, near post from 20 yards out. just has to be doing better im afraid. hes in a spiral atm, i think he'll lose his place in the next window unless his form picks up

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Originally Posted by Jd2793

its a bad goal to concede, near post from 20 yards out. just has to be doing better im afraid. hes in a spiral atm, i think he'll lose his place in the next window unless his form picks up

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Here was the problem - Holgate received the ball under no pressure 25 yards out, dwelt on the ball and had it nicked off him - the Southampton defenders made zero effort to close down the shooter - Bazunu was partially unsighted and just before the shot shifted his weight to his left foot expecting the shot to go to his right. The ball came through Bednarek's legs and Bazunu was a little late getting down to the shot. The shot had power and Bazunu did get a hand to it but couldn't get enough on it to push it around the post. Should he have done better - yes - but once again the Southampton defence imploded leaving Bazunu exposed.

Now here was the reality during the game - the Southampton defence repeatedly gave the ball away in dangerous positions - Bazunu bailed them out on several occasions, including making one excellent save with his feet. Overall he actually played well in the game. Even the Southampton fans recognise this - while there was some criticism for the goal, the vast majority blamed Holgate for the goal and a majority of posters on their forums actually defended Bazunu. There was a general consensus that he prevented Southampton losing 1-4 or 1-5. The blame for the debacle is firmly placed at the feet of Russell Martin and the defenders for their failures in actually being able to defend.

Solid game today, a couple of important saves. Noticeable improvement in distribution the past two games. Good win Southampton, hopefully they will turn their season today. Nice finish from Smallbone, but don’t fancy him, one paced, lacks dynamism, weak in the tackle, has an eye for a pass that’s about it.

How’s Bazunu’s all important XG (or whatever) stats looking after today? I’ll await the resident statistical experts on here to “model” these complex statistics….

Twitter, the most important metric of all, was very appreciative of his performance. Several commenting on how good his distribution was.

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Twitter, the most important metric of all, was very appreciative of his performance. Several commenting on how good his distribution was.

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Great to see things settling down for him. Great talent for us

Clean sheet, couple of solid saves with good distribution. Great to see. Travers with some good stops too.

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Originally Posted by tommy_c12000

Clean sheet, couple of solid saves with good distribution. Great to see. Travers with some good stops too.

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Travers was beaten by a brilliant free kick, very little he could do about it.

Seems to have played well at Stoke last night. Confident and excellent distribution seems to be the Twitter verdict.

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Seems to have played well at Stoke last night. Confident and excellent distribution seems to be the Twitter verdict.

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Can I ask why he is considered well below Gavin and kelleher in ability?

Is it to do with his poor performance v Serbia?

Seem v unfair he plays as much as Gavin in the same league and seems to have a far better track record

Is there bonus statistical points for a clean sheet on a cold, rainy night in Stoke?

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Originally Posted by Diggs246

Can I ask why he is considered well below Gavin and kelleher in ability?

Is it to do with his poor performance v Serbia?

Seem v unfair he plays as much as Gavin in the same league and seems to have a far better track record

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Nothing to do with Serbia in my view, or at least the goal he was lobbed for*. I think he has a disappointing command of his 6 yard box for such a big guy and routinely fails to read the flight of crosses / corners that should be meat and drink to a keeper. Decent enough of a shot stopper, no complaints there. Distribution not as good as Bazunu or Kelleher.

*I think Tadic played him like a fiddle with his corners. He could tell from the first (excellent) corner that Travers was hesitant. He then devilvered the same ball - straight into the corridor of uncertainty - about 5 times and each time Travers was caught in 2 minds.

Edit: for avoidance of doubt, the post you replied to was actually me referring to Bazunu away at Stoke, not Travers at home for Stoke!

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Seems to have played well at Stoke last night. Confident and excellent distribution seems to be the Twitter verdict.

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Martin seems to have at least made some progress on sorting out the defence - Bazunu has been far less exposed in the last couple of games - it has allowed him to be more decisive. It is worth nothing that Martin has singled out Bazunu for praise, over any other player, for his role in the last two wins.

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Nothing to do with Serbia in my view, or at least the goal he was lobbed for*. I think he has a disappointing command of his 6 yard box for such a big guy and routinely fails to read the flight of crosses / corners that should be meat and drink to a keeper. Decent enough of a shot stopper, no complaints there. Distribution not as good as Bazunu or Kelleher.

*I think Tadic played him like a fiddle with his corners. He could tell from the first (excellent) corner that Travers was hesitant. He then devilvered the same ball - straight into the corridor of uncertainty - about 5 times and each time Travers was caught in 2 minds.

Edit: for avoidance of doubt, the post you replied to was actually me referring to Bazunu away at Stoke, not Travers at home for Stoke!

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Spot on - if Travers could deal well with crosses he'd be playing in the PL - he is still only 24 - so he still has time to develop.

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Originally Posted by Jolly Red Giant

Spot on - if Travers could deal well with crosses he'd be playing in the PL - he is still only 24 - so he still has time to develop.

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Maybe time to do some anti Van-Helsing coaching on board.

Eventful night tonight

Great stop before half-time to keep Southampton 1-0 up at the break, but booked shortly after for time-wasting I think

Conceded that obligatory long-range effort early in the second though it took a (small) deflection. Then nuttsed for Preston's second; was really begging to be too... Another one that's not an outright blunder but won't be on his highlights reel either

Then goes up for a corner in the 96th minute and heads home an equaliser, though it's been given as a Ched Evans own goal, and I think Bazunu's header was more glancing at first sight and was probably going wide, but it was Evans who got the full connection. Still, Bazunu claimed it at the time.

It lifted them from ninth to fifth. Preston and Southampton are both in the playoffs with a negative goal difference. Southampton have the worst defence in the league, along with QPR and Norwich (24 goals), but only the top two and Norwich have scored more.

Really weird division so far; the teams in 18th/19th/20th each have a plus goal difference; there's nine points from second to third, eight from third to 21st, and five from 21st to 22nd. Wednesday, who got 96 points in the third tier last year, have three points so far this year. Ipswich, who got 98 points in the third tier last year, have 31 so far this year

Interesting that Bazunu hasn't been mentioned in the last couple of weeks - Russell Martin seems to have sorted out his defence and stopped the unchallenged long-range shots.

No fault for the goal yesterday - and Bazunu made a really good stop at the death to help win the game for Southampton.

That's great. However big or small his contribution was to their awful defensive form, it's rubbish for a keeper's confidence to be leaking goals like that.