Carlton Palmer believes Russell Martin’s decision to start Carlos Alcaraz was a masterstroke in the 3-1 win for Southampton over Leeds United
Carlos Alcaraz playing as the number nine for Southampton helped them defeat Leeds United 3-1 and snap their losing skid.
Alcaraz’s use as an attacker paid well because his movement opened up opportunities for other players.
The victory demonstrated Southampton’s improvement in the last third, where they had previously struggled, and ability to generate chances.
The Saints had lost four straight games into a match against an in-form Leeds team after a promising start to their first Championship campaign in more than ten years.
The Whites had not lost in six league games and had not given up in four. They entered the match between two recently relegated teams as heavy favorites.
Leeds United defeats Southampton 3-1.
After only a few minutes, they were off to a great start as Adam Armstrong brilliantly clipped in from Kyle Walker-Peters’ reverse pass.
When Kamaldeen Sulemana reached the byline and waited for Will Smallbone to come to deliver a cut-back, the midfielder scored off the far post and Leeds were two goals down.
The Southampton striker, Armstrong, added his second as he twisted and turned inside the box before reaching the far corner, leaving a startled Leeds team three goals down at the break.
Pascal Struijk, a center-back for Leeds, scored a goal after swiveling to grab the ball out of the air and finish like a center-forward. But in the end, it would only be a meager consolation.
Leeds and Southampton are now tied for ninth place with the same number of points going into the next round of midweek games against QPR and Stoke City, respectively.
What have the experts to say about Southampton’s 3-1 victory over Leeds?
Former England international Carlton Palmer commented on the match and believes that Russell Martin’s decision to choose attacking-midfielder Carlos Alcaraz for the match was brilliant.
“Russell Martin made an inspired move playing Alcaraz, restoring him to the team as a number-nine against Leeds,” he revealed exclusively to Football League World.
“Martin revealed in the post-game news conference that Alcaraz trained exceptionally well the previous week and that he felt he needed to make room in the lineup for him in some way.
Knowing Alcaraz is a smart football player and that he is an attacking player, and using him as a center-forward further up the field was a stroke of genius.
He isn’t very great in defense, but he didn’t expose them. It enables him to play to his strengths and get up the field to hurt the opposition.
“Exactly what he did, and the Southampton manager made a great decision to get them back to winning ways.”
How effective were Russell Martin’s Southampton strategies?
Something was required to lift Southampton out of its rut. However, Leeds’ passive press proved to be too simple to play through, and they were able to routinely get the ball into dangerous areas. Previously, they had struggled to build up the ball from the back without committing individual blunders.
Alcaraz’s movement helped create the openings for Kamaldeen Sulemana and Adam Armstrong to consistently get in behind as Martin’s side controlled the tempo and opportunities.
Leeds improved after the break, but Leeds still triumphed. Alcaraz may play more of a false-nine or pure center-forward role going ahead, given how he helped to open up the game. He is a skilled player who, whether playing in center midfield or the attacking line, should have been given more playing time than he has received.
They haven’t had the ability to regularly produce recurring opportunities or the cutting edge, but that wasn’t the case here. Martin will be looking to build on the victory and continue to play consistently in the final third, perhaps with Alcaraz at the center of it.
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