Ruben Selles has explained why Nigeria international, Joe Aribo started in Southampton’s defeat against Crystal Palace.
The 26-year-old versatile attacker has found minutes hard to come by since Selles succeeded Nathan Jones as manager in mid-February.
A substitute appearance in the FA Cup defeat against Grimsby Town on March 1 was the last time Aribo was seen on a pitch for Saints, with the summer signing from Rangers last making a Premier League start on New Year’s Eve.
Selles picked Aribo in his starting eleven against Palace at St Mary’s on Saturday, with Saints succumbing to a 2-0 defeat that keeps them bottom of the table four points adrift from safety.
“I don’t think it will make any difference because the way that we are arriving in the chances doesn’t indicate that we need another striker,” Selles responded in a post-match interview. “Joe Aribo is a striker that played as a striker in the final of the Europa League last year.
“So that’s why we chose him today to play in those spaces. And I think he helped us a lot in many different phases of the game.
“We arrived at the situation but we didn’t make it. And unfortunately when they arrived in our box, they made it,” he added.
Aribo played 62 minutes of the fixture, with Paul Onuachu replacing him while Selles swapped Carlos Alcaraz for Samuel Edozie for the last ten minutes against Palace.
He added: “I saw what I want,” said Selles when asked about his expectations of Aribo, who before kick-off had played just 250 minutes in all competitions since the start of the year. “I saw a player that was in the front and that understood the pressure that we wanted to do and that was making a big effort with his physicality and playing in the area we call the rest zone between the lines, creating the four against three for us.
“He was getting some touches and running into the final third and supporting the team. So yeah, I saw it and I think he has been working really hard, really good to be back on the team.
“Samuel Edozie was also there. I have no problem with the players if they are working hard, and they are showing me that they really want to do it and make decisions and to bring them back even if they were not in the squad for the last game,” Selles said.
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
