ORIOL Romeu conceded “if we carry on like this we could really struggle” and is expecting changes made to the Saints squad this summer. A number of positions have emerged as problem areas with the expiry of contracts and loan deals, and the lack of fight shown in Saints’ final 12 league games leaves Romeu anticipating player overhaul.
Oriol Romeu said: “When you are not getting results there is always going to be changes. Especially at the end of the season when there is the window and you can look around and reinforce some areas if you want to. The way we are playing has not been good enough, and we want to head into a better direction and right now it looks like if we carry on this we could really struggle, which is not a feeling you want to have. There could be changes, we don’t know, we don’t make these decisions but I’m pretty sure that will happen.”
The Daily Echo understands sources close to the club expect a ‘very busy’ summer, with players targeted in ‘pretty much every position’. The 30-year-old midfielder, whose own contract is set to expire in June 2023, made his 36th Premier League appearance of the season in Sunday’s 4-1 defeat to Leicester City.
Oriol Romeu added: “It was heartbreaking to see our fans chanting and singing, being loud and going home with a 4-1 defeat. It hurts everyone at the club and hurts them as well. It is annoying to go into the summer now with this defeat.”
Saints were on the receiving end of a refereeing error and player confusion with the two sides deadlocked at 0-0, at King Power Stadium.
Oriol Romeu said: “There were a few things that didn’t go our way, we don’t need to talk too much about decisions and what happened but what we need to do better is once we get that first goal. But coming back into the game at 2-1 and conceding one or two minutes after, what are you going to do in these moments, you need to keep yourself alive in the game and give yourself some options to come back into the game. Very weird, We are still talking about it and don’t really understand it. I tried to block Jamie Vardy and he said I kicked him, I was blocking him. He (Moss) gave them the ball and I don’t know why, because we had it. It is still our mistake, we gave it away too easily and it was an easy chance for them to score. Then probably from that goal everything changed.”