How can Southampton FC get more out of striker Adam Armstrong?

I guess the positive is that Armstrong started the new season on the pitch whereas he ended it largely entrenched on the bench. Unfortunately, after a rather uninspiring first half at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, that’s exactly where he found himself once again - replaced by Stuart Armstrong at the break.

READ MORE: Why Ward-Prowse could be set for new attacking heights at Saints

The 25-year-old touched the ball just 14 times during his half of football in North London including one wayward shot as he struggled desperately to get involved. 

Let’s get one thing out of the way: Armstrong was not good against Spurs. He was almost entirely anonymous and it was hard to have many complaints about his withdrawal. But the tepid start to the new season also raised an important question.

Are Saints using Armstrong correctly?

After leaving boyhood club Newcastle United on a permanent basis in 2019 for Blackburn Rovers, Armstrong managed just five goals in his first season at Ewood Park before taking that tally to 16 in his second.

Armstrong celebrates after scoring for Saints in pre-season. Image by: Matt Temple

But it was his third Championship campaign in Lancashire that grabbed the interest of the wider football world. Armstrong smashed in 28 goals, earning him a place in the PFA Championship Team of the Season while he won the Fan’s Player of the Season award. 

Naturally, such a season led to interest higher up the football pyramid and after Danny Ings departed for Aston Villa, Armstrong arrived on the South Coast in a deal worth around £15m. Ings left big shoes to fill but Armstrong started in the best possible way, notching on his debut at Everton.

Unfortunately, that’s about as good as it got for the striker. He scored one more time all season - a well-taken strike against Aston Villa - but he started just three games in 2022 as a disappointing maiden campaign came to a thoroughly disappointing end.

But despite his limited impact, there were enough flashes to suggest Armstrong could still make it at St Mary's while the case of Che Adams - who scored four times in his first season before hitting nine the next - was frequently cited as reason for hope.

Pre-season pushed that narrative along with Armstrong scoring twice in Saints’ five warm-up matches to earn his place in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s starting XI for the opening day of the season at Spurs.

And then it all came back down to earth with a dull thud.

READ MORE: Saints show familiar frailties in Premier League opener vs Spurs

The truth is, Saints don’t seem to understand or be capable of playing to Armstrong’s biggest strengths. And if they can’t adequately use him, they might as well just not play him at all.

Armstrong has to improve, he has to force himself into games more, but Saints also must learn to use him properly. Potentially his greatest strength, Armstrong wreaked havoc in the Championship by playing on the shoulder of the last defender and feasting on through balls in behind. 

Eight of Armstrong’s 22 non-penalty goals (36%) in his final season at Blackburn came in this manner thanks to his speed, movement and timing to make runs in behind the opposition defence. 

Let’s take a look at a few examples.

Below is a passage of play from Blackburn's clash with QPR in early November 2020. As Harvey Elliot carries the ball forward, Armstrong can be seen pointing to where he wants it.

Seeing the instruction, Elliot doesn’t hesitate and plays the pass to the space behind the QPR defence, space that Armstrong runs into to collect the ball and score.

Here’s another example from one month earlier against Coventry City. Armstrong is slightly shallower this time, not quite on the shoulder of the last defender.

But as soon as strike partner Ben Brereton Diaz turns away from his marker, Armstrong bursts into action making the run beyond the Coventry defence.

The pass duly arrives and Armstrong is through to shoot - dispatching the chance into the back of the net with a kiss off the crossbar.

The irony in all of this is that Armstrong’s successful debut gave a taste of how he likes to operate. Granted his first Saints goal was aided by some shocking Everton defending but it was still made possible by Armstrong hanging on the last defender and making the run behind at the exact right moment.

In this case, he points to where he wants it…

...and Che Adams pokes it through into the space ahead of Armstrong and the debutant makes no mistake with his finish.

Unfortunately, this was the exception rather than the norm for this Saints team last season. Only three sides played fewer through balls per game than Saints’ 5.35 while Hasenhuttl’s team were flagged for offside just 0.97 times per game (least in the Premier League) further showcasing the lack of attempt to attack the space beyond opposition defences.

These trends can be pretty frustrating to watch in action. There was one glaring instance on Saturday in North London. As Saints break out of defence through Oriol Romeu, Armstrong checks in for the ball...

But as two Spurs defenders step up, Armstrong starts to peel away into the huge area of vacated space...

The pass doesn’t arrive and he seemingly calls for it again. The pass still doesn’t arrive and eventually, Romeu is forced backwards to Djenepo, much to Armstrong’s obvious frustration.

Another example of Saints' sluggishness to actually use Armstrong's runs came in the pre-season friendly with Austrian side Klagenfurt.

As Joe Aribo receives the ball inside the opposition half, Armstrong points to where he wants it and makes his run. But by the time the pass is played, the striker is offside. Admittedly, Aribo had hardly played with Armstrong so a deep understanding between the pair wouldn't always be realistic at this point.

One more - far less egregious example - comes from Saints' 3-0 defeat to Brentford in May. As Kyle Walker-Peters carries the ball forward, Armstrong can be seen waving his arm as he makes a run off the back of the last defender. This would by no means be an easy pass and Walker-Peters either doesn’t spot the run or simply chooses to keep the ball himself.

On the occasions Saints did try to utilise Armstrong’s clever movement in behind, it showed positive signs. We already touched on his debut goal at Goodison Park but here is another case of how it can pay dividends from the FA Cup quarter-final clash with Manchester City.

With Romeu advancing, Armstrong points to where he wants it and makes his run beyond the City defence.

This time the pass does arrive and Armstrong somewhat mishits his shot, eventually seeing it roll tantalisingly against the base of the post. 

Of course, Armstrong doesn’t come away from all of this without criticism. The chance above, for example, needs to be taken and too often the striker didn’t take advantage of his big moments. But that being said, he also wasn’t afforded many.

Perhaps it’s a case of not recognising his triggers - not understanding when the run is about to occur - so by the time it’s noticed the moment has passed. At Blackburn, there appeared a telepathic connection with his teammates where as soon as Armstrong would point to start his run, the pass would duly arrive. Of course, if this still hasn’t been developed yet with his Saints teammates it’s a real cause for concern. 

Alternatively, perhaps it’s an issue of trust. Are his fellow teammates afraid to rely on him due to a lack of trust? It’s impossible to say as journalists and fans looking in from the outside but if he’s not trusted, he shouldn’t be starting - it’s as simple as that.

It also must be noted that the Premier League is of course a major step up from the Championship and the difference in space and opportunity afforded to Armstrong is noticeable.

Regardless, whatever the issue, Saints must start using Armstrong in something of the manner that helped him flourish in the second tier. Otherwise, there’s really not much point in using him at all.

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