Having badly lost his own form and confidence, Southampton and former England goalkeeper Fraser Forster largely bore the brunt of the woeful performances in front of him as we desperately looked to turn our form around in the campaign of 2017/18 and he was the casualty, being dropped from the starting XI and replaced by Alex McCarthy who seized his opportunity with both hands.
The 30-year-old stopper last featured for us back on Boxing Day 2017 and a heavy 5-2 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur was the final straw in many ways, and there were plenty of fans who were surprised that the August transfer window shut without him moving on given the investment we made in Angus Gunn.
With the January window now open, he hasn’t featured on the rumour mill as often as I expected either, but the Mirror have suggested that with interest low in him, new manager Ralph Hasenhuttl may give him a recall to see whether he can offer us something moving forward again.
My guess is, given the speculation surrounding Alex McCarthy, despite the new deal he himself signed, it’s about keeping our options well covered and it would also fit with Hasenhuttl’s approach to give everyone a run out of some kind as he continues to make his own assessments about our playing squad.
With Forster contracted up until 2022, it certainly makes sense.
