Southampton are now 22 games into the Championship season and will reach the halfway stage of their league campaign when they face QPR on Saturday.
Things are on the up for the Saints after a dismal campaign last season saw them relegated bottom of the Premier League which left fans with very little to be excited about.
The inevitable summer overhaul happened as the club prepared for life in the second tier, with the biggest change being Russell Martin being appointed as manager. The ex-Swansea City boss has completely transformed the playing style from a focus on out of possession work to a possession-based style and, after a mixed start, the club are now reaping the rewards.
Martin has seen his side go 14 games unbeaten, winning their last five home games in a row. After struggling to extend their lead at various points this season has cost the club on numerous occasions, the St Mary’s side also recorded their biggest win of the season on Saturday as they beat Blackburn Rovers 4-0. That win kept them in fourth in the table, but moved them level on points with third place Leeds United and ten points off the top two.
Given the form Southampton are in combined with their place in the table it is no surprise that there have been a number of excellent performers for the club this season. However, who has been the best player for Martin’s side as we approach the halfway point of the season?
Kyle Walker-Peters is Southampton’s best player so far
There are a number of players who deserve a mention for the way they have performed this campaign. Adam Armstrong has captained the side with Jack Stephens out for a long period and has excelled in front of goal, his 12 goals making him the second top goalscorer in the Championship.
Armstrong struggled in the Premier League, but has proven that he is a very good striker at this level with six assists as well as his goals. Loanee Flynn Downes has also earned many plaudits for his performances in midfield, Stuart Armstrong is showing how important he is, and central defensive duo Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Jan Bednarek also deserve honourable mentions.
Fans will undoubtedly argue until their heart’s content about who they think Southampton’s best player has been so far this season, but there is one player that fans will be hard-pressed to disagree with, and that is Kyle Walker-Peters.
The fact the 26-year-old full-back remained a Southampton player beyond the summer transfer window was a massive surprise given the obvious quality the ex-Tottenham Hotspur man possesses. Perhaps Walker-Peters has used the lack of concrete summer interest as motivation this season, as the player capped by England as recently as 2022 has been in inspired form and has shown that he should unquestionably be a Premier League player.
Russell Martin spoke on Walker-Peters’ future at the of November and when asked if the full-back would remain at the club in January answered “Yeah, I think so”, before adding: ““We need to get promoted to the Premier League and then he will be really happy. If we don’t, I’m sure there will be interest”.
Given he has been the standout performer for the Saints this season, there is bound to be a lot more interest in Walker-Peters in January. The Southampton board opted to sell Tino Livramento in the summer and instead stood firm on keeping hold of Walker-Peters, making their stance clear.
Martin and Southampton will hope that Walker-Peters decides to at least stay until the end of the season and see whether the club get promoted as he will be absolutely crucial to their chances of doing just that.
How good has Walker-Peters been this season?
In a Martin team, every player is crucial in the build-up and has an important role to play in asserting control over the opponent. At the beginning of the season, Martin was asking Walker-Peters to invert into midfield when Southampton had the ball and, whilst Walker-Peters is good enough to do this, there were teething issues with the change in style and the Saints struggled to get the best out of a number of players playing this way.
Once Walker-Peters was instructed to stay wide and get forward down the right, we immediately saw the best of him again. The simple fact that Walker-Peters has played every minute of every game in an intense Championship season shows just how crucial he is to his manager.
Walker-Peters’ attacking influence is his biggest asset and the way he progresses the ball with his dribbling is quite remarkable for a defender at this level. His willingness to surge up the right wing at will has also allowed Adam Armstrong to frequently drift inside from the right of the front three position he has been deployed in for the majority of the season and get in central areas to score more goals.
£36k-a-week Walker-Peters has scored two goals and provided two assists in the league this season and is a constant threat. According to FBREF, the former Spurs man has an 89.6% pass completion rate in the Championship this season which is very impressive and is another reason he is such an asset in a possession-based side. He takes risks in possession too, with his two key passes this season working out as 0.95 per game, which is quite remarkable for a full-back. Add to this the fact that Walker-Peters has made 50 passes directly leading to a shot this season and you can see that he encapsulates the modern full-back.
The defender is at his best marauding down the right, but he has looked just as comfortable when asked to deputise on the left of the back four and his flexibility means he is an attractive option for Martin but also, unfortunately, for any Premier League clubs looking for a full-back in January.
If Walker-Peters were to finish what he has started, and see out this campaign as a Southampton player, he increases the club’s chances of an immediate return to the Premier League drastically. Southampton should brace themselves for offers, but will hope that their player of the season so far decides to stay put and play his part in what all involved with the club hope will be a successful season.