Keegan Backs Danny Ings To Succeed At Saints.
Monday, 3rd Jun 2019 12:09

Ex Saint Kevin Keegan knows a few things about football in a long career as both player and manager and he is impressed with Danny Ings.

If you are of a certain age you know where you were when the news came through that European Footballer of The Year Kevin Keegan was going to join Saints the following season and Keegan had a great two seasons at the Dell.

Now he has spoken to the Daily Echo about Danny Ings and how although injury has hampered him in his first season at St Mary's he can overcome and succeed.

“He has never really had a good run at it and that’s the problem." Said Keegan

“When you play and pick up injuries, you never quite get up to match speed.

“He is obviously a very talented player to score goals at that level because he has done it before at Liverpool."

“He needs a bit of luck now and a run."

“I was lucky because I didn’t get many injuries. One of my worst injuries was when I was here and did my hamstring which isn’t a bad injury, but it knocked me back for six weeks.

“He has had injuries that have knocked him back for five months which is half a year and almost the entire season.

“When you have been out for three or four months, and you go back in the team, you are playing against guys who have been playing every week without any interruptions in their training.

“You are coming back in and you know you haven’t done it in a while and that you may not be 100 per cent match fit.

“There is a difference between being fit and being match fit.

“You can be fit and do all the running in the world but when you play a match and make the first two or three runs, you think, ‘Wow’.

“It’s the pressure of the game, the pressure of the fact you’ve been out a while and you don’t want to go and get injured again. It’s human nature for it to be in the back of your mind."

“Once he gets a run of games and starts scoring the goals, then the confidence will return and that’s what strikers really want.

“The more you play, the more opportunities you will get - and he will get plenty of those in that Southampton squad.”

Keegan is right, when you have suffered long term injuries like Danny Ings has done at Liverpool you lose core fitness and if you are not getting much game time because there are others in front of you in the pecking order who are playing well, it is difficult to not only get that fitness but keep it.

Likewise your body isn't used to the level of training, footballers have to build u a core fitness and when they lose that because of long term injury, it is a long road back often riddled with minor injuries picked up because the body hasn't yet adjusted back to the needed level of fitness and that has been the case with Ings.

But he showed enough last season to suggest that he is a very clever player and there is a lot more to his game than goals and that although some don't see that, the fact is when he played his ability to not only create chances for others directly but also indirectly by his off the ball running creating spaces for others was invaluable.

Next season with the right signing to partner him could see Danny Ings finally fulfilling the potential that persuaded Liverpool to sign him from Burnley.

Photo: Action Images

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saintmark1976 added 23:15 - Jun 3 A panic addition minutes before the deadline closed with the inevitable result. I've nothing against the player but he was long term injured at Liverpool and so it's turned out with us.If the rumours are correct then we are contracted to purchase him,more money wasted I suspect due in no small part to the utterly hapless and thankfully now departed Mr Les.
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geezershoong1 added 12:39 - Jun 4 â€œHe has never really had a good run at it and thatâ€™s the problem." No sh1t. He's always injured Kev.
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GeordieSaint added 13:06 - Jun 4

Seems to be primarily hamstring troubles which is bound to happen as that is where they usually take the graft from for a cruciate reconstruction. Remember he didn't have a proper pre season with us last year and was constantly rushing back because of the precarious position. Hopefully with the right level of rest and prep he will be good to go in august. Too player.

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underweststand added 06:21 - Jun 5

This is a " glass half full / half empty "situation, and KK sees the possibilities of "a fit Ings" scoring goals rather than branding him as an injury case. Danny's start last season showed that he had goals in him, despite having Mark Hughes as manager of a poor side.

A good training regime and a sensible strategy of playing time may yet give us real benefit from this deal. Impatience (and those multiple managerial changes) meant that we sold JayRod far too quickly and then saw him "scoring for fun" at West Brom.

Danny should learn that his past is not his future, and so I go with KK in that comment
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