Will Ruben Selles Bring Back Jones Outcasts For Visit To Chelsea Friday, 17th Feb 2023 09:12 With Ruben Selles set to continue as caretaker manager for the trip to Stamford Bridge, the question is will be bring back those who had seemingly been ostracised by former boss Nathan Jones. The strangest thing about Nathan Jones tenure as Southampton manager, was the fact that he could never keep a settled side, just as he seemed to get a team that was competing, he had dismantled it within a couple of weeks. Just as we had got some momentum with wind against Crystal Palace & Manchester City in the cups followed by his only Premier League win and indeed points at Everton, he chopped and changed and never really seemed to know his first choice side, formation and seemed to feel that he had to tinker. That was illustrated by the fact that the team for his final game against Wolves contained only 4 players in the starting line up against Everton started the game against Wolves. Of course there were injuries, one of them Kyle Walker Peters was one the fans saw happen when he had to come off in the first half up at Newcastle, but the second claimed injury was less evident. Those who watched Duje Caleta-Car in the B team game against Sheffield United at AFC Totton's Snows Stadium saw no evidence in the first half that he had picked up an injury and when he failed to appear for the second half, most assumed that he had been taken off so he could go on the bench for the following days trip to Brentford. That of course was not the case and the other three first team players in the B team t hat day Armando Bella Kotchap, Mislav Orsic & Moussa Djenepo, despite being seemingly fit and able to play most of that B team game, not only played no part in the squad at Brentford, but again were not in the matchday squad for the Wolves game. So one can only assume that all four had fallen out with Nathan Jones, you can see to a degree why they played in the B team, but not why not even one of them could make even the bench for Wolves. So the question is whether Ruben Selles will bring them back into the squad, all have had their merits why they should be in the squad, Caleta-Car perhaps the biggest as he had formed the central rock in the defence in those three wins. Bella-Kotchap had returned to the squad from the World Cup, but Jones hinted he was not fit and likewise Orsic, who yes although was probably a little rusty after a couple of weeks break after the World Cup should have easily have been brought up to speed, it seems that there was friction between the manager and his new signing almost from day one. Moussa Djeneppo had started the first leg semi final against Newcastle and been smashed by the keeper and had to go off with concussion, he had played a part in 4 out of 5 of the games up to and including this one, yet he too suddenly found himself out of the squad. All four must have been livid to be dropped so drastically, especially when they saw who was replacing them, Jan Bednarek returning from Aston Villa must have irked some of the squad, yet he was straight back in, Theo Walcott may have been well liked by his fellow members of the squad, but not many of them would have put up a case for him to even be on the bench, but suddenly he was back from the cold and finally James Bree, clearly Jones's man and no experience at this level was straight into the side. Bree must be wondering where his future lies now with his mentor gone from the club. So it will interesting to see if and how many of these four are reinstated into the squad for the trip to Chelsea, as mentioned for the Wolves game it was very strange that at least one of them didn't get a place on the bench. Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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