Super Eagles striker Paul Onuachu has shed light on why his much-anticipated move to Southampton ultimately turned into a frustrating spell, pointing to a stark tactical mismatch and instability behind the scenes at St Mary’s.
The towering forward arrived in English football with a fearsome goalscoring reputation after bagging prolific numbers in Belgium and Denmark.
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However, he struggled to make an impact or find the back of the net in the Premier League before departing.
Reflecting on the challenges he faced during his time on the south coast, Onuachu in an interview with Trabzonspor Magazine, highlighted three primary factors that derailed his stint.
Aside from the tactical constraints and the notoriously difficult mid-season transition window, Southampton’s constant managerial changes during that turbulent campaign robbed him of stability and regular backing.
“There are times in football when things don’t go well. For me, the Southampton period was like that. First of all, the transfer happened in January.
“I haven’t regretted any of the decisions I’ve made, but sometimes there are questions you need to ask before signing with a team. You need to find out if their system suits you.
“Many coaching changes and systems that didn’t suit me. I knew the team had a 50-50 chance of staying in the league or getting relegated. But sometimes you take a risk and then you see if it works. I took the risk and it didn’t work,” he said.
“Maybe I’m making excuses, but sometimes if you want to go to a team, you need to ask and learn very, very well about the system, how things work in the team, and everything else. That’s all.”
Having since revived his career in Turkey, Onuachu admits that finding a system that plays to his strengths and a coach who trusts him has been key to getting his confidence and scoring boots back.
