‘I do worry’ – Southampton told to avoid Nathan Tella repeat over ‘promising’ star | OneFootball

FLW’s Southampton fan pundit has commented on the impressive start Jay Robinson has made at Monza.

Heading into the elongated international break, Southampton will be overly optimistic about their start to the season, despite currently sitting in mid-table.

The Saints started the season on -4 points following their deduction from the EFL for ‘Spygate’, but now sit 13th in the standings with 10 points to their name after the opening eight league matches.

Just three points off the play-offs, the South Coast outfit will be hopeful of making a charge when domestic action returns, although concern remains about who will lead them over the long-term future, with Tonda Eckert still awaiting what his punishment will be for his involvement in ‘Spygate’ at the back end of last season.

Any ban handed out would mean the Saints would have to look for an interim manager, and former Wolves boss Rob Edwards has been linked with stepping in should Eckert have to spend a lengthy period of time away from the dugout.

But on the pitch, it’s been quite positive. The Saints do go into the three-week break off the back of a disappointing 2-1 defeat at Wrexham, but now have time to recharge and reset ahead of another brutal Championship schedule.

And Saints fans will be even more encouraged by how some of their players are performing away from St Mary’s, with attacker Jay Robinson a standout example.

With first-team opportunities limited at Southampton, the 19-year-old has been loaned out to Serie A side Monza and made such an impressive start, so much so that Italian heavyweights Inter Milan are reportedly keeping tabs over his performances as they eye a potential move later down the line.

With this in mind, FLW’s Southampton fan pundit has commented on the emerging interest from Inter for Robinson and the decision the Saints must take about his future.

Jay Robinson’s impressive start for Monza and emerging Inter Milan interest

After making only 26 appearances in the Championship last season and failing to feature much at the back end of the campaign, it was no surprise to see Jay Robinson go elsewhere in search of regular minutes this summer.

He managed to secure a first overseas move on loan to Italian side Monza, who gained promotion back to the top-flight at the first time of asking.

Tasked with helping Monza stay in the division, Robinson has managed to hit the ground running, playing five times already in all competitions and making four starts in the process.

After being eased in for the first couple of weeks, Robinson netted his first goal for Monza in a 1-1 draw away at Parma, while also playing a vital role in another league victory over Sassuolo and a win against Torino in the last 32 of the Coppa Italia.

As per stats from FotMob, Robinson has won 19 duals, had six shots from his opening five matches, created two chances and won nine fouls, with the youngster already proving his worth and set to earn more opportunities once the latest international break comes to a close.

Such impressive numbers have also caught the interest of some bigger sides in Serie A, with Inter Milan keeping tabs over Robinson’s performances early in the campaign, according to Italian Journalist Pasquale Guarro.

Southampton told to avoid Nathan Tella repeat with Jay Robinson

Speaking to Football League World, Southampton fan pundit Louis Harris has admitted he does ‘worry’ Jay Robinson could mirror Nathan Tella’s exit from Southampton, and that the Saints must keep the 19-year-old at the club next season to allow him to prove his worth after a promising start to his loan spell with Monza.

Louis told FLW: “Yeah, it looks like he’s had a really good start with Monza, which is really promising for Saints fans and really promising for him.

"He does need a season where he’s getting as many minutes as he can, as I think he would have struggled for that this year (at Southampton).

“I have seen the links about Inter Milan keeping tabs on him, which isn’t surprising if you go over to a new league. When you’re young and get off to a really good start, you’re going to attract the bigger teams to have a look around.

“I do worry we’re going to find ourselves in a similar situation to Nathan Tella where we loaned him out to Burnley for the year. He had a great season for Burnley, and then we ended up losing him to Bayer Leverkusen, so I think sometimes there’s a real balance between letting young players go out on loan to gain experience but then also losing them to bigger teams as it gives them a better chance to showcase their quality.

“Personally, I think he’s best off staying with us next season. He’ll probably come back a much better player for it.

"Give him another season or two with us, and if another move materialises, great, but have the season on loan, gain the experience, come back, prove yourself and take it from there.”

Southampton must do all they can to retain Jay Robinson for next season

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While it’s still very early days and a lot of football left to be played, Jay Robinson has set out his stall at Monza and made such a promising start, with it clearly enough to impress those high up at Inter Milan.

However, it’s not a surprise to see him make his mark, with Robinson still only 19 and having so much more room to grow and develop into a top player.

Saints fans will be hoping he can continue to grow with them from next season onwards, with Robinson having the potential to play a vital role in the long-term success of the club, particularly if he returns full of confidence following his exploits in Italy.

At his age, a permanent move would likely draw a very high fee, but if Southampton are to continue to progress towards becoming a Premier League team once again, they need players on their books like Robinson who are fearless and so eager to make a difference at the top end of the pitch.