Claude Puel has spoken of the reasons why Jay Rodriguez ended up staying at St Mary's and how he can play a vital role.

A couple of weeks ago Jay Rodriguez looked to be going out on loan for the season with both West Brom and Hull City being touted as possible destinations, however after scoring against Sunderland suddenly the club and player took a massive u turn and it was decided he would stay at the club after all.

In fairness it was stated at the time that in the long term Rodriguez was wanted at the club, but in the short term it was thought in everyone's best interests that he go somewhere he could get game time.

This seemed to suggest that Saints had lined up another striker before the end of the transfer window and there is certainly the suspicion that this did not come through, but did the deal not happen because J Rod scored against Sunderland and suddenly pushed his claim or was it because the deal had fallen through so he was now needed to stay ?

Perhaps we will never know the answer to that question, but for the time being at least. Jay Rod is back in the frame.

Ahead of the game at Arsenal Puel said.

“It was not just the goal that changed the idea to keep him.

“I think I saw Jay progress, improve, in all the training sessions.

“He take confidence and he came back step by step with a good physical level and he is a player with a good spirit, attitude, positive, and worked very well.

“I think perhaps his last goal is the first step of a great comeback in the team. I hope for this.

“Many things are positive when I see him on the pitch.”

If this is the case it is good to hear, after all injury should not have been an issue, Jay Rod was back and fit at the tail end of last season, he should have been fitter than most when he returned in the summer not having had the gruelling International programme that some had been involved in, he should have been fresh and fit and it is nearly six months since he has been available for first team action.

The issue will be confidence and that goal against the Mackems showed that he still has what it takes and that wil give him confidence, last season he appeared to be on the brink of finding his form when injury struck again, he had scored a couple of goals against MK Dons and it seemed that all he now needed was a Premier League goals and he would be firing on all cylinders.

This season he has scored that Premier League goal early doors and that has to be good, he showed he was not afraid to take players on and have shots and although the keeper was at fault, not many have given the Saints striker credit for the shot itself, it was hard, low and it dipped right in front of the keeper, hence it was perhaps not as much as the keepers fault as would first appear.

A fit Jay Rodriguez will be an asset to the team, those screaming that we needed a striker in the transfer window would do well to step back and reflect what we have, Jay Rodriguez scored 15 Premier league goals in 3/4 of a season, before injury, Charlie Austin scored 18 in his last full Premier league season, yes there are injury concerns about both, but no one was saying that about Austin back in January when most were salivating about his signing, now it suits some peoples agendas.

But we also have back up to these two, Shane Long is fit and raring to go and offers a potential double figure haul, Nathan Redmond is playing in a more advanced role than he did at Norwich last season when he hit six in a struggling side, pertinent to note here that Redmond had more Premier League goals than Sadio Mane going into April last year, Mane was in a side on the up and finished the season with a flourish whilst Redmond was in a side disintegrating around him.

Then we have Sofiane Boufal, a little of an unknown quality, but highly rated and with the potential to be better than Sadio Mane.

In many respects we do have the potential to be a far more potent attacking force than last season, in that we have a bigger variety of options both in the finishing department but creative as well.

No one likes change and many Saints fans have struggled to take in the recent changes, but we have the foundations to keep moving forward and if the fans stay patient and behind the team then this season can be one to remember and I do mean for all the right reasons.

Photo: Action Images

SonicBoom added 10:01 - Sep 9 A deal that fell through can be the only explanation. The club and player were clearly expecting a loan deal. To be fair with a lot of matches coming up there is surely the chance for JR to start games as he wont get back into the scoring groove until he gets regular playing time. As for the rest, you're right we have the potential to score goals. However for various reasons JR and Austin are not doing it right now and haven't for a while. Redmond still looks more of a winger, Boufal is still a month away from a debut and Long as we know is an erratic finisher. Let's hope someone steps up and bangs some in to stake their claim. Having the most shots in the league but only scoring two goals looks both good and really bad at the same time!

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LeTissIwish added 18:52 - Sep 10 Is that why clueless Puel took him off at half time then?
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IWOZTHERE added 15:24 - Sep 11 I 'speak' to the editor of a Burnley football magazine. JayRod very popular from his time up there. He heard that WBA had 'pulled the plug' on the loan deal because of the size of the fee Saints were demanding. Also rumoured that Puel had upset both JR and CA? who knows?.......
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