Southampton needed to sign a new centre-back this summer. With less than 24 hours of the transfer window to go, though, they haven’t. It’s not good news for the fans, but it could be for one man currently in the squad, and that’s Jan Bednarek.
Saints have five senior central defenders on their books: Jannik Vestergaard, Jack Stephens, Maya Yoshida, Wesley Hoedt, and of course, Bednarek. It would seem that shifting a couple of the more unwanted players here proved problematic for the club, and as such, we aren’t likely to see the existing crop supplemented with a new arrival.
For fans who are keen to avoid the inevitable dodgy backpasses, poor marking and lapses in concentration, sending the blood pressure soaring, it might be a tough season. For Fantasy Football aficionados, it might not be the year to include a Southampton centre-back in your team, even if they are ‘bargains’. But for a certain promising Polish defender at St Mary’s Stadium, it could be a campaign that sets him apart.
Bednarek was treated pretty shoddily under Mark Hughes at the beginning of last term. After some full-blooded performances in our narrow escape from the clutches of relegation in 2018, he was dropped and, rather confusingly, overlooked on numerous occasions.
Hughes decided to put his unwavering trust in Wesley Hoedt. It still baffles me to this day that he had such confidence in the defender; it was as though he’d deluded himself into thinking that the Dutchman was the second coming of Rio Ferdinand. In reality, he was more Anton than Rio.
Thankfully, Saints wielded the axe on Hughes and replaced him with a competent manager – and a fantastic one, at that. Ralph Hasenhuttl stepped in, sent Hoedt out on loan to Celta Vigo, and reintegrated Bednarek. Since then, the 23-year-old hasn’t looked back.
Old-fashioned in his approach and committed to the cause, the £5 million man was excellent in the second half of the season. Upon his return to the team, he made a catalogue of important blocks, interceptions and challenges, ensuring that despite Saints’ deficiencies at the back, mistakes were as scarce as possible.
Bednarek is by no means the quintessential modern-day defender; he is not an exceptional dribbler, nor does he have a breathtaking range of passing. He goes against the grain of the Rolls-Royce, effortlessly composed centre-back, whose game is moulded largely on what is done with the ball as opposed to without it, but he is certainly still impactful.
Alongside Vestergaard at the back, he grew in stature and confidence as last season progressed, and he now appears to be one of few guaranteed starters in Hasenhuttl’s preferred line-up. The hard work has only just begun, however, and the upcoming campaign promises to be the most important in Bednarek’s short career to date.
With Southampton fans feeling understandably aggrieved by the failure to recruit a quality central defender, he has the chance to allay any fears of the club being sucked into a relegation battle by proving that he is the player who the team has been crying out for.
Bednarek is not yet near the peak of his powers, and at just 23, the future is bright for him. He came of age under Hasenhuttl and is evidently a big part of the future plans at St Mary’s.
Mistakes next season are natural in Hasenhuttl’s risky approach, and yet more learning curves will be rounded by the Poland international. But the golden opportunity he has to emerge as the latest Southampton success story is clear, and Bednarek must grab this chance with both hands.
