Southampton will have to continue to cope without Stuart Armstrong in the play-offs.
The 32-year-old has been a key figure in Russell Martin‘s side this season, featuring in all but one Championship games before the injury he sustained against Cardiff City.
Armstrong is the oldest outfield player at the club which highlights just how young a squad Southampton have and his experience is invaluable to those around him.
Southampton had struggled to manage without the Scotland international, with two more defeats adding to the loss at Cardiff in which he was stretchered off late in second-half stoppage time.
Whilst the injury has curtailed Armstrong’s Southampton season, there is still a hope that he could be fit to represent Scotland at the Euros in Germany this summer.
Martin threw a real curveball in the win over Leeds United on Saturday, as he changed formation to set up in a 3-5-2 shape.
However, if he is minded to return to his favoured 4-3-3 system, then he already has a player at the club who could replace Armstrong’s influence.
‘Fantastic’ David Brooks could replicate Stuart Armstrong’s creativity
David Brooks joined the Saints on loan from Bournemouth in January.
The Welsh international had a strong start to life at St Mary’s, providing two assists off the bench in a 5-3 win over Huddersfield Town in just his second game.
However, despite starting the last seven matches prior to missing out against Leeds, Brooks has seen his influence wain in the last few weeks.
You could argue that, if Martin is minded to continue with the 3-5-2 formation in the play-offs, there is not a space for Brooks.
However, the Southampton boss is a massive fan of the 26-year-old and said in February: “As a player and as a person, I think he [Brooks] is fantastic. He’s even better than I thought he was, and I had a really high opinion of him in the first place.”
The Bournemouth loanee has played almost exclusively form the right wing since arriving at the Saints, but Martin trialled him in Armstrong’s advanced central midfield role against Stoke City.
It was a position in which Brooks was expected to flourish, but he struggled to make any telling impact on the game in a collectively dismal performance.
That being said, Brooks does not necessarily have to play the same position as Armstrong to replicate his influence.
Armstrong is often the creative force, driving Southampton up the pitch before presenting the likes of Adam Armstrong and Che Adams with chances.
Brooks’ creativity is his biggest asset and he can indirectly replace Armstrong by performing a similar role but from his more natural right wing position.
Comparing Brooks and Armstrong this season
In an ideal world, Martin would be able to start both Armstrong and Brooks but, without the former, the latter must now step up.
This season, Armstrong has scored five Championship goals, as well as providing five assists in 42 games.
Brooks has played significantly less owing to his January loan, but has scored twice and provided five assists in his 17 league games at Southampton.
However, a closer look at the numbers show the pair to be registering very similar statistics, again reinforcing the idea that Brooks could replace Armstrong.
According to WhoScored, Brooks has recorded a pass success rate of 81.8% in the Championship this season, with Armstrong slightly better at 84.2%.
The pair are also close in terms of key passes per 90 minutes, with Armstrong providing 1.6 per match and Brooks 1.4.
Brooks does boast a higher expected goals per game (xG/90), with 0.24 to Armstrong’s 0.2, whilst the Wales international also has a higher xG per shot with 0.12 to Armstrong’s 0.09.
Brooks is also dispossessed less than the Scot, only having the ball taken off him an average of 0.5 times per game compared to Armstrong’s 1.1 per 90 minutes.
These statistics suggest that Brooks is capable of stepping into Armstrong’s boots, it is just a case of whether Martin will trust him to do so.
