Southampton defender Wesley Hoedt has been speaking about what he believes is a growing partnership between himself and fellow centre-half Jack Stephens this week.
🤝#SaintsFC's @wesleyhoedt is keen to build on a solid start to his defensive partnership with @jackstephens_18: https://t.co/zZgR9k2AMp
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) October 29, 2018
With the Leicester City tie being postponed in midweek, it’s Manchester City next in Premier League action for the club and we go into the tie having kept back to back clean sheets in the last two matches. Maybe not something to overly celebrate really, but given our lack of goalscoring in the season of 2018/19 and our propensity to leak goals like a sieve, you take the positives where you can.
Hoedt’s full interview can be read in full by Clicking Here.
Suffice to say, the 24-year-old Dutchman has had a mixed bag of things since his arrival at the club in the 2017 transfer window and despite his reported £15million price tag, his performances have been incredibly mixed in his 42 appearances so far.
Most defenders in the league struggle against city? Unfair to judge him on that game
— gravy (@dizzeeguy) October 29, 2018
You could have made a corpse confront the Newcastle defence and they still wouldn't have scored.
— sam (@smadger) October 29, 2018
So far, great partnership. we will improve if both start each week.
— TheOrangeStag (@The_Orange_Stag) October 29, 2018
Wes, Jack together you will grow as a partnership and become the rock that was once Klaus & Michael, long may it last.
— Steve Jarvis (@SteveJarvisSFC7) October 29, 2018
People can slate me if they want but Hoedt 100% should not start for #saintsfc ,where is yoshida? At the moment all I see is long diagonal balls up to Redmond/Moi that they can't control or they go out of play. It's not the 'Southampton Way' get it on the floor and knock it about
— Alex (@alex_lehneis) October 29, 2018
Some of the reactions may seem harsh in light of more recent improvements, but they are right to point out one thing in particular – City will be a different kettle of fish to Bournemouth and Newcastle.