RUSSELL MARTIN HAS given Gavin Bazunu his full support and declared that he won’t be looking to sign a new goalkeeper before the end of this transfer window.
The Southampton manager, speaking at a fans’ forum event last night, admitted that he had been “made aware of this narrative” around the Ireland international after he was dropped for the final run of games during their relegation from the Premier League last season.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher highlighted the Dubliner as “a big problem”, but when Martin was pressed on whether a new goalkeeper would be brought in along with other positions in the spine of the team he responded in emphatic fashion.
“We don’t have a problem with the goalkeeper in my opinion. We have a full international who is 20-years-old (sic). He will take unbelievable learning from last season playing in the team that finished bottom of the Premier League,” Martin began, citing last weekend’s 4-4 draw at home to Norwich City as an example of his team needing to defend better.
“That’s not easy for a goalkeeper and it’s definitely not easy for a young goalkeeper. Alex McCarthy is a really experienced number two, Joe Lumley is a really experienced number three. We have real strength in that department.
Well done Russell Martin👏👏
— 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱 (@SfcAlex__) August 15, 2023
Strong praise for Gav but also backing him, the best thing a manager can do for a player. #SaintsFC pic.twitter.com/7wc1E1KjBc
“I’ve been made aware of this narrative around Gav. Last season’s happened, you can’t impact that. What he can impact is that he’ll be one of the best goalkeepers in the division for how we want to play. If I was going to look at a goalkeeper I’d want to go and sign Gavin Bazunu. His mentality and how he’s been, how he’s trained and how he played, on Saturday he couldn’t do anything [about the goals].
“Like I said after the game, he doesn’t deserve to concede four goals and it’s not his problem at all, it’s the guys in front of him and we will learn from that. So I can only speak from my short time here but Gavin is going to be a brilliant goalkeeper. He is going to be a huge asset to this club on the pitch, financially, whatever you want to call it.
“And as long as he maintains the standards he’s had in the last six weeks we’ll be more than fine and he has really capable people pushing him every day in training to make sure we bring the best out of him.
“Gavin, already in six weeks I’ve seen his personality start to come out. He’s had a really difficult time but he will be so much better for last season. It’s our job to get that out of him.”
