MAN OH MAN
If Gabby carries on like this not only will Saints not be able to keep him..he’ll be at Real Madrid
FOUR games into his Italian Job at Southampton and already the adulation for Manolo Gabbiadini is mixed with alarm bells. How long will Saints be able to hang on to the transfer discovery of the season? As the new darling of St Mary’s took his spree to six goals in four games, Watford striker Stefano Okaka – who played with Gabbiadini at Sampdoria three years ago – joked: “If he keeps playing like this, he’ll be at Real Madrid.” Behind the good nature of Okaka’s throwaway one-liner, Southampton fans could be forgiven for fearing it could be laced with an element of truth. Gabbiadini’s movement and sniffer dog’s instinct for a halfchance proved decisive at Vicarage Road. The £14.6million January signing from Napoli gambled on a rebound falling his way and pounced when Heurelho Gomes spilled Sofiane Boufal’s innocuous shot. Okaka, whose slick finish to make it 2-2 began the avalanche of four goals in the last 11 minutes, said: “He’s a fantastic player because he’s so clever, and the goal he scored against us was down to belief – he believed the chance would come, and in this league you can’t give him space because he will punish you. “At Sampdoria he would work hard on his finishing, and he is very clinical with his left foot. This time he made his own luck. “Can he become one of the leading strikers in the Premier League next season? Sure, why not? He’s a good player, he’s scoring a lot of goals now and next year, if he plays like this, he’ll be at Real Madrid! “But we’re very frustrated because normally when you score three goals at home, you win.” Saints richly deserved this plink-plink fizz as they dispelled any hangover from their EFL Cup Final heartbreak with a vibrant display. Winger Nathan Redmond’s first goals since October fired him to the brink of an England call-up and big clubs should be holding inquests with their scouts over how they managed to miss out on Gabbiadini. Including his last three appearances for Napoli, he has scored in seven consecutive games. Dusan Tadic, who was also on the scoresheet for Saints, said: “Manolo’s a real striker because he can smell goals. Before the game I told him Gomes gives a lot of rebounds and to be aware of it, so I’m claiming the assist for his goal! “Of course you’re a little worried when you lose a striker of Sadio Mane’s quality, and everyone can be here and then gone, but this is normal in football and you believe in the club to make the right decisions. “They know how to choose the right players, and it shows we have a good scouting system and direction.” Troy Deeney’s early volley, taking him level with Cliff Holton’s 105 goals at No.4 in the club’s all-time scoring charts, proved a false dawn for Watford. Tadic, Redmond and Gabbiadini were too hot to handle and Hornets sub Abdoulaye Doucoure’s stoppage-time goal was pure window dressing.