August was a mixed month for Southampton. Two wins, two losses and one draw in all competitions send us into the international break with plenty to ponder.
We started the season in underwhelming fashion. Defeats to Burnley and Liverpool left us in the relegation zone in the first fortnight of the new Premier League campaign, but things have since picked up.
A win away at Brighton and Hove Albion kickstarted the season before the narrow victory in the Carabao Cup second round against Fulham handed us an eagerly-anticipated South Coast Derby against Portsmouth on September 24.
Most recently, Ralph Hasenhuttl saw his side turn in a resilient display to secure a point against Manchester United at St Mary’s.
There were few standout performers in the month of August, but the likes of Nathan Redmond and Angus Gunn have provided reason for optimism.
However, my Player of the Month has to be Oriol Romeu.
After a somewhat quiet performance at Burnley as the Clarets bypassed Saints’ midfield, he has stepped up to the plate and turned in several strong displays in the middle.
Romeu was outstanding in the defeat against Liverpool and saw his game cut short only as a consequence of an unjust yellow card. He kept play ticking over well at Brighton and was sharp at Fulham despite spurning a gilt-edged opportunity to score.
Most commendable, though, was his performance on Saturday against Manchester United. He was quite simply outstanding, and having shared the stage with a certain Paul Pogba, was the best player on the pitch by a mile.
Romeu screened the defence well, positioning himself to halt United’s central attacking movements. He also read the game intelligently, shepherding the threat from the likes of Pogba throughout an intense afternoon.
He has come in for some criticism over the past couple of seasons, but his displays throughout August were reminiscent of those he turned in during his best season in Southampton colours under Claude Puel.
If Romeu wasn’t already a mainstay in Hasenhuttl’s starting line-up, he most certainly should be now.
