#PLStories- Ralph Hasenhuttl gives insight to role of Kyle Walker-Peters’ in Southampton squad #SAINTSFC

KYLE Walker-Peters probably had every reason to feel a little disgruntled after losing his place to an 18-year-old, but the way he’s kicked on instead prompted Ralph Hasenhuttl to remark: “This is the future.” The 24-year-old right-back started 30 times and was a top performer last season, only missing action during an injury-stricken January and February spell, so could assume he’d be a key man again. But he was displaced on the opening day at Goodison Park by summer signing Tino Livramento, who had played just 45 minutes of a pre-season friendly defeat to Athletic Bilbao – an inspiring 45, albeit. The former Chelsea youngster then started each of the first 11 while right-footed Walker-Peters was pushed out onto the left of Hasenhuttl’s defence – simply because he’s too good not to play. Read more That ploy faced early criticism with Walker-Peters’ relative inability to deliver into the area with his left-peg a source of frustration for supporters, frustration at the sign of slowed offensives. Saints' Kyle Walker-Peters is unlucky to have been usurped in his natural position by Tino Livramento (Pic: PA) However, in the back-to-back 1-0 wins over Watford and Aston Villa, Walker-Peters reminded those a bit sceptical with confident and assured performances in defence and attack, despite the natural inhibition. Manager Hasenhuttl shared those thoughts, telling the Daily Echo: “I must say that in this left-back position he gets more and more in the positions I want him to be. “What I still miss is the final action, the final assist, the final pass in the perfect moment. He can do it definitely better, but he is very good on the ball and his stats are very high all the time, sprinting up front. Pathetic. Walker -peters ripping us a new one. — Steve James (@stevejames72) November 5, 2021 “Against Aston Villa, he was a very important player for this team and this is good to see.” Kyle Walker-Peters had more touches in the opposition box (4) than any Aston Villa player in the first half.Just look how advanced he's been playing. 😳 pic.twitter.com/wvHzZJ7j4o — Squawka Football (@Squawka) November 5, 2021 This kind of positioning isn’t necessarily new for Walker-Peters, but there was a few murmurs and laughs in the press area when Sky Sports showed an ‘average position’ map for the full-back of the first-half against Villa – closer to the opposition corner flag than anything else. Watching the former Tottenham man maraud birthed reminders of a genius plot by European Championship-winning Italy manager Roberto Mancini in the summer – one that we didn’t get to see in the final. Ex-Manchester City manager Mancini deployed right-footed Roma left-back Leonardo Spinazzola in his five-man defence but told him to do basically whatever he wanted. Dynamic Italy left-back Leonardo Spinazzola (Pic: PA) The 28-year-old scrapped the idea of traditional positioning and spent the tournament dribbling, covering 10.8km per match with runs beyond opposition defenders, working in tandem with the forwards to overload their systems – and making just one solitary tackle in four games. Giorgio Chiellini would step across from centre-back and fill in as the left-sided defender while he embarked on those expeditions. 5 - Over Italy's first five matches at EURO 2020, Leonardo Spinazzola ranked first for dribbles completed (7), first for progressive carries (58), and second for chances created in open play (8) amongst the Azzurri squad. Flash. #ITA #EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/KJs4DAWGpo — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 13, 2021 Despite suffering an Achilles tendon injury in the quarter final against Belgium, Spinazzola was named in the UEFA team of the tournament and touted by many to win the individual award that Gianluigi Donnarumma eventually claimed. Hasenhuttl explained Walker-Peters’ advanced role: “When we organise the rest of the defenders properly this is still possible, he can still cause the box some issues. Kyle Walker-Peters helped Saints keep a clean sheet at champions Manchester City (Pic: PA) “He is the joker, it is hard to defend and causes them issues as the ten also has to go there with him.” He insisted: “I think this is the future when you want to stress them in their box, you need this player. “This is why I am so happy that he goes there, but just missing the final action, the final goal, the final assist, then I will be very happy.” And Walker-Peters has testimony from those who know him best, too. Saints’ goalscorer versus Villa, Adam Armstrong, played with the full-back as a teenager in the England youth systems. England U21 coach Lee Carsley with Kyle Walker-Peters (Pic: PA) Both won the FIFA Under-20 World Cup together in South Korea, back in 2017, when they were on the books of Spurs and Newcastle respectively. Armstrong told the Daily Echo: “Kyle’s brilliant. I’ve known Kyle since I was 16/17 with the England groups and I think he’s been brilliant wherever he plays, he puts a shift in. “I thought he was quality again against Aston Villa. When you can play in every position it’s good, it’s only going to benefit Kyle.”