Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl criticizes Chelsea loanee Armando Broja after suffering defeat vs Crystal Palace
Speaking after the game, as quoted by The Mirror, Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has suggested that Chelsea loanee Armando Broja has lost his impeccable form after the defeat against Crystal Palace.
The Saints lost 2-1 to the Londoners yesterday and while Broja did not start, he was brought on in the 65th minute for Shane Long. However, he could not get himself on the scoresheet as his team fell to a second defeat in three PL games.
Broja remains one of the breakthrough performers of this season in the Premier League. Scoring 9 goals and one assist in 36 appearances across all competitions in this campaign, the Chelsea loanee has attracted a lot of praise. Only midfielder and captain James Ward-Prowse has scored more goals under Ralph Hasenhuttl than Broja.
However, most of Broja’s goals came in the first half of the season. He hasn’t been as successful in front of the goal in the second half, which has become a source of concern for the Southampton manager.
After suffering a home defeat against Crystal Palace, the Saints boss criticized Broja’s form by saying he isn’t the same player as a few months back.
“Maybe we are not good enough. Certainly, our opponent wasn’t that good. I expected more from my guys – Broja’s not what he was – and we lacked quality. Everything has to change.”
Does it hurt his chances of coming back to Chelsea?
Armando Broja’s growth has been tracked by his parent team with utmost interest. Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel even responded to several claims about the academy graduate’s return to Stamford Bridge. Considering the attention he has received, it seems he might be a part of Tuchel’s plans next season.
On the other hand, Southampton have been equally interested in making the Albanian’s transfer permanent. They made attempts in the last transfer window, but nothing materialized in the end and he remains at St. Mary’s on a temporary spell.
It remains to be seen what the Austrian manager’s comments on Broja actually mean in the grand scheme of things. Would the Saints want to keep the striker for longer? Or would he return to the Bridge this summer to challenge for first-team minutes? That is something which only time can tell.
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Our team is already struggling in front of goal. Broja is fresh blood looking to make a case for himself. A few goals here and there and the youngster can really get some confidence to challenge Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku for starts in the future.
The Albanian, for now, has to show hunger in order to convince the manager to bring him back to the club. Although if that happens to be the case, one could ask why Tuchel let a young, goal-scoring academy graduate in Tammy Abraham leave for AS Roma last year.