Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl says that Kyle Walker-Peters needs to improve his work “against the ball”.
Hasenhuttl says that Walker-Peters has quality when he is in possession, but that still needs to improve the defensive side of his game.
The right-back made his debut for Southampton last weekend as the Saints lost 2-1 to Burnley at St. Mary’s.
Speaking to the Daily Echo, Hasenhuttl said:
I think everybody could see that on the ball he has quality.
Against the ball, there is still a lot to be done. But the problem is that he is also injured and cannot play at the weekend. He’s definitely out.
Kyle showed he can be a good option for us with the ball but against the ball, we must learn with him.
When he’s back we will do this.
READ SOUTHAMPTON VERDICT
It is hard to judge Walker-Peters after just one appearance, but Hasenhuttl has been working with him in training for the past few weeks and is clearly looking for him to improve in his defending.
Against Burnley, Walker-Peters made just one clearance, won one header and was dribbled past twice. This suggests that he did not have the best game defensively, which could be why Hasenhuttl is demanding more from him at that end of the pitch.
Going forward, though, Walker-Peters looked impressive. He completed three dribbles past opposition defenders, showing that he can drive forward from right-back. If he can continue to do this and produce quality deliveries into the box, he could create more chances for the likes of Danny Ings and Shane Long.
Walker-Peters will need to work hard and improve between now and the end of the season, hopefully with the help of Hasenhuttl’s coaching. If he has a strong end to the season, it will be interesting to see if the club look to keep him for the next campaign.
