Southampton manager Russel Martin was full of praises for Joe Aribo after the Nigerian put up another impressive performance against Swansea City at the St Mary’s Stadium on Boxing Day.
The Saints thrashed the visitors 5-0 to extend their unbeaten streak to 16 games.
Aribo scored the opening goal for the home team in the game.
It was his first goal of the season and first in 2023.
The midfielder was a mere squad player earlier in the season.
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The 27-year-old has however started Southampton’s last five Sky Bet Championship games.
Martin heaped plaudits on Aribo for his remarkable fighting spirit.
“When he [Joe Aribo] wasn’t playing, he didn’t show frustration with the players, he trained like a beast,”the gaffer said after the game.
“He would come speak to me and get his frustration out.”
Martin’s side will host Plymouth Argyle in their next championship game on Friday.
2 Comments
The problem is Aribo has been assigned to play on the wings for Southampton, and yet he plays as a midfielder for the SE. This is the problem I have with him as a player, he never specialised in any position. He is a jack-of-all-trades player with little mastery of any position. Yes, in a tournament squad it is good to have utility players, but they are usually utilised not as first choice but as backup in case of injury.
Top marks Tristan.
In recent seasons, Aribo has been deployed as a winger, support striker, attacking midfielder and centre midfielder. He has not been able to settle down long enough in any of these roles to be considered a connoisseur in that role.
That said, his passing range in midfield for Nigeria improved recently whilst his hold up play for Peseiro in support striker role was robust.
So, yes I think he is an asset to the team, all factors considered.