Will Still must make big Ross Stewart call at Southampton FC – It could help them financially | OneFootball

Will Still should start to start Scotsman Ross Stewart at Southampton with the Saints out of contract next summer.

Southampton have endured a very difficult start to the season and there is a lack of clarity about what Saints are trying to do and, whilst in flux, it would be a good time to simply throw Ross Stewart back into the mix at St Mary’s.

Following their humiliating relegation from the Premier League last season, Southampton have managed to win just one of their opening six matches in the Championship.

The risky appointment of former Stade de Reims and Lens boss Will Still has not yet paid off, and there are concerns over his experience for dealing with this current squad that has a lot of very bad Premier League experience, but perhaps still sees itself as a level above the Championship.

A mix up is likely required for Saints to find some cohesion, and time is required for his squad to gel after a lot of business was done late in the summer transfer window, albeit a lot of it didn’t make much sense with Tom Fellows, Finn Azaz and Leo Scienza all arriving without much thought as to whether their skillsets actually compliment each other.

One man who has been left on the outside for much of this season, albeit did come off the bench in their recent 3-1 defeat to Hull City, is Ross Stewart – and he is someone who should now be given a chance by Still.

Ross Stewart should have the hunger to succeed at Southampton

In the summer of 2023, following their previous relegation from the Premier League, Southampton managed to agree the late summer transfer of striker Ross Stewart from Sunderland for a reported fee of £8 million.

Since arriving down on the south coast, Stewart initially found it difficult to adapt to Russell Martin’s style of football and then injuries majorly hampered any further involvement as a credible first-team option for Saints.

He has made just 20 appearances for the club, but did begin to show signs of improvement at the end of last season with a goal against Arsenal on the final day of the season his only league goal for the club.

At the age of 29, this is a player that will be desperate to prove his worth for a side challenging for promotion in the second-tier once again, after an impressive stint on Wearside at Sunderland.

His main rivals for the striking position, Adam Armstrong and Cameron Archer, are both players who have also scored goals at second-tier level but also two strikers that, in a couple of different environments, proven themselves unable to yet make the step up to the top-flight, especially with Southampton.

It wouldn’t be a surprise therefore to suggest Armstrong and Archer, Premier League players of the past, have a higher opinion of themselves than another Championship promotion-chasing campaign.

In contrast, Stewart cannot have that mentality after the time he has had since moving and that desire to prove a few doubters wrong should lead to him becoming a more and more attractive option as their slump at the start of this season perhaps continues.

It makes financial sense for Southampton to play Ross Stewart

That aforementioned outlay on the former Ross County forward is even more reason for Saints to again try and get Stewart playing as regularly as possible in the early stages of this campaign.

He is out of contract in the summer and his value is already diminished significantly, with the only hope of extracting anything of value being a very small sale in January.

That is currently impossible, though, if he isn’t even given the chance to prove himself for a Southampton side that does not currently possess a striker worthy of keeping their shirt.

Southampton need to start maximising the value of some players because, alongside Stewart, Joe Aribo is another big earner out of contract that isn’t in their plans at the moment due to not getting a move in the summer.