SOUTHAMPTON manager Ruben Selles has hinted that Paul Onuachu is not getting game time because the Super Eagles striker is struggling to adapt to the English Premier League.
Onuachu joined the Saints in January but has struggled to get playing time and has not scored since his arrival from Genk.
The Nigeria international had scored 16 goals in 19 Belgian Pro League appearances this season before making the €18 million switch to Southampton on January 31, but has fired blanks in eight Premier League games since then.
Onuachu has started only three Premier League matches, come off the bench five times and been an unused substitute three times, logging a total of 315 minutes in almost three months.
With Southampton struggling for goals and stuck at the bottom of the table, there have been suggestions that the towering 28-year-old be given more opportunities.
However, Selles, who replaced Ralph Hasenhuttl in November, insists that he knows what he is doing.
“I don’t make my line-ups or actions on what anybody else thinks. You need to be competitive and in the game until you can score the goal,” the manager said during his pre-match press conference today ahead of tomorrow night’s Premier League clash against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
“I understand that some players have been scoring goals in different environments, but this is a completely different situation.
“We will not play four strikers, we need players that will help the whole team and help the whole team score.”
Selles, who deployed Nigeria midfielder Joe Aribo as a false nine last weekend instead of starting with Onuachu, admitted that his side are in a ‘desperate situation’ with their relegation battle.
“I think as I say it has been a desperate situation from the very first second. We are running out of time and the games are less and less from our account,” he noted.
“We put in some good performances but we haven’t transformed those to many points. Hopefully we can change this and put together the points and performances.”
Southampton held leaders Arsenal to a 1-1 in their first meeting this season, and Selles is hopeful his side can get a result at the Emirates against Mikel Arteta’s team, who have drawn their last two games after taking 2-0 leads.
“I just go and try to win the game. It’s not about the history, it’s about what is in front of us. We will try to be ourselves, press them, and score goals and try and win the game,” the 39-year-old Spaniard said.
“If we put in the good performance, we will be there and it will be better for us.
“From the last game [against Arsenal] we take some references because they are still a similar team to how they were.
“You can kick the ball long [against Arsenal] but then you lose control of the ball. You have to have your identity in the defensive moment and maybe adjust your offensive quality going forward.”
