Adam Armstrong, aged 27, played a crucial role in the promotion of Southampton (referred to as Saints) from the Championship, scoring 24 goals and providing 13 assists. His performance included scoring the winning goal in the play-off final. Despite starting the first three matches of the Premier League, Armstrong was substituted at half-time during a 3-1 loss to Brentford and has since made only two substitute appearances. Previously, he had difficulty finding form in his first two seasons in the Premier League following a £15 million transfer from Blackburn Rovers in 2021.
Russell Martin said, “He just needs to persevere and keep working. Arma’s really frustrated at the moment, as he should be. Arma played predominantly on the right for us last season, pretty much all season. Ben Brereton Diaz plays wide left, Arma plays wide right. Paul Onuachu and Ross are very similar profiles so in case you need them at some point and then you have Cam. It’s like they’re all very different. Arma just needs to be patient and trust that we absolutely love him still and we know what he can do. There’ll be games where we really, really need him. And looking back, I should have put him on the pitch on Monday night at Bournemouth so it’s my fault, not his. I’ve told him that and he hopefully accepts that. Whilst being frustrated, he trained brilliantly and I know he’s ready for us whenever we need him. He’ll have a big part to play. It’s been a bit of a frustrating few games for him but that’s football. It’s never linear. It’s never a straight line. He needs to stick with it, keep working hard as he has done in training and use the frustration he feels when he gets his opportunity. I’ve got no doubt he will.”
