Club legend proven right as Southampton's rigidness cost them the Derby | OneFootball

Southampton's world-class defender Francis Benali predicted that Juric wouldn't overlook a big defensive shift. That turned out to be the case and a faltering backline gave away enough empty spaces to the in-form visitors.

Thinking about Southampton's vast roster, the Saints have enough quality in their ranks. That being said, it won't be wrong to expect healthy competition among the squad for playing, let alone starting matches for Southampton.

On top of that, subpar outings must result in getting demoted to the bench, right? Hopefully, that was the scenario at St. Mary's but the current circumstances aren't that impressive.

To start with, let's recall a key theme from Russell Martin's tenure. No denying that the Scottish tactician wasn't a decent manager but his inflexible playing eleven felt too annoying at times.

Especially when the team has plenty of options available, changing players isn't a bad idea to try to get good results. In this regard, Russell's replacement Ivan Juric has done comparatively better but even the latter has become more rigid, recently.

Club legend proven right as Southampton's rigidness cost them the Derby

A few days ago, Francis Benali was going through Southampton's best available centre-back combinations. In doing so, the fullback dropped an intriguing claim about Jan Bednarek's potential defensive pairings.

Writing for the Daily Echo, Benali said: "If you're on the left-hand side, then being naturally left-footed does help your cause. You can play with a bit more freedom. That is why we are yet to see Armel Bella-Kotchap - Juric doesn't fancy him on the left - and why we continue to see James Bree on the right."

Honestly, Benali's reasoning makes sense but Bella-Kotchap's prolonged absence must stop, now. His counterpart, James Bree isn't doing any better and often leaves wide spaces inside the box.