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By now, everyone knows how Southampton play. There are a multitude of moving parts, all requiring flawless synchronisation to function correctly.
It has become a layered paradigm that demands 11 cylinders extremely fit and firing, with each player understanding their role to harmonic perfection. If all cogs work as one, the machine built by Ralph Hasenhuttl often paves its way to viable results.
But the holistic approach can expose loose-fitting parts.
And Moussa Djenepo is the quirky misfit jarring Hasenhuttl’s interconnected structure. He may be capable of the sublime but also the downright absurd. And encompassed by a methodology that heavily relies on the force of the collective, where system presides over personnel, Djenepo’s unpredictability offers little of the robust foundations Hasenhuttl craves.
To explain the quandary in its simplest terms, it may be best to stick with a mechanical-themed analogy. Right now, Southampton’s tactical set-up would much prefer to have a reliable Honda Accord in its garage than an unreliable, albeit shiny, sports car.
10 games into the season, Hasenhuttl is faced with a dilemma. Moussa Djenepo is an enigmatic, precocious talent who has shown fleeting moments to suggest he may be a diamond in the rough. But they are just that; fleeting.
In a side that operates at optimum levels on the basis of having sufficient balance all over the pitch, does Djenepo’s individual excellence outweigh his glaring misunderstandings of the system?
For all the riddles he’s been able to solve over the past two years, the Saints boss is yet to find a panacea that harnesses Djenepo’s natural instincts for the good of the collective. 17 months on from signing, the Malian’s organic abilities remain at odds to the uniformities of Hasenhuttl football.
What makes the conundrum somewhat acute is there are no seemingly obvious nor stereotypical solutions for it. Djenepo cannot be labelled as a player who neglects defensive duties or hasn’t got the appropriate attitude to make things work. In fact, while Djenepo is not the most intelligent with his output out of possession – often being too narrow and not slowing down once reaching the player in possession – you cannot say he shirks defensive responsibilities.
This season, the 22-year-old has completed the sixth most tackles in the side, with 15. That metric is a higher total than Jan Bednarek, Jannik Vestergaard and is seven more than Che Adams – a player ostensibly praised for his attitude to closing down.
Talented, dexterous dribblers of Djenepo’s ilk can often to be seen to float on the periphery and be reluctant to dip their toe into the team’s out of possession demands. With Djenepo, that is certainly not the case. If anything, he appears to sometimes be trying too hard without the ball, leaving little energy to expend upon transition.
Hasenhuttl has always implored his side to work smart, rather than hard. The team practises a number of “automatisms” — rehearsed moves that respond in a certain way depending on what the opposition do — to coordinate their press. Hasenhuttl wants his players to be malleable and Djenepo’s rate of adaptation to the Austrian’s methods sometimes leaves the manager exacerbated.
Djenepo is uncomfortable at recognising the various triggers in which to press and when to hold shape in order to cut-off passing lanes. He can sometimes be slower than the rest of his teammates at identifying signals set by the forwards in front of him. Against Newcastle and Manchester United, Hasenhuttl could be heard repeatedly shouting “it’s too late Moussa!,” and appearing frustrated that his player continues to not be attuned to the pressing mechanisms.
Those doubts have only been heightened this season with the arrival of Theo Walcott, who already seems to be more receptive to the nuances of the system.
In possession, Southampton refinement in their ball work has also not done much to help Djenepo grow accustomed. The slower build-up play, where Saints are more trusting in patient ball retention as opposed to a fast vertical passes through the thirds, has become another paradox to Djenepo’s game.
This season, Southampton make an average of 504 passes per game, 92 more than they had done the campaign prior. The passing accuracy is significantly higher too, with 79 per cent of passes finding the intended target, compared to the 73 per cent last season.
Therefore, players who thrive in transition and take lots of touches aren’t always the most impressionable to this more refined, measured approach. Players like Sofiane Boufal and Mario Lemina have experienced similar difficulties in adapting to this method.
This has led to Djenepo putting the safety breaks onto his natural directness. He now mostly stands still upon receiving, with no forward momentum that can enable him to accept the ball on the move and take the defender on at speed – arguably his standout trait.
Due to Saints’ emphasis on pronounced ball retention, Djenepo is increasingly taking the risk adverse option. A sense of trepidation was on show in the 20th minute against Man United on Sunday, after he had managed to fashion a 1 v 1 opportunity against Aaron Wan-Bissaka, driving diagonally into the box.
Instead of showcasing that impulsive unpredictability that is so difficult to read for defenders, he hastily attempted to offload the ball. The blind pass went straight to Fred.
In fact, the lack of conviction is now having the exact effect that caused Djenepo to be fearful enough to alter his instincts in the first place. Football is game of risk versus reward and Djenepo appears unprepared to take very little of the former.
Hasenhuttl’s system-led philosophy means no one individual is charged with lighting an attacking spark. It is a conformed structure that shares goals and chances – four Southampton players have two assists each – there is no standout innovator. They place far higher value on the team being able to prise open defences, rather than rely on individual brilliance.
Some could argue that is in stark contrast to Sunday’s counterparts. Manchester United’s streams of attacks are likely to be sourced by Bruno Fernandes. While the notion of building a team around one player is a somewhat outdated concept, there is a case to be heard that it would be far more conducive to Djenepo’s football genes.
Ole Gunnar Solsjkaer’s free-wheeling tactic that probably runs along the lines of telling his players to ‘go out there and express yourself’ prior to most games, is far more likely to reward players who prefer vibes over tactics and thereby flourish when doing most things off the cuff.
Southampton’s game is far more subtle than that. It is characterised by oscillating rhythms that either slow down or speed up the tempo. For instance, when Saints are under pressure but have just regained possession, Hasenhuttl will shout buzz words such as ‘calm’ or ‘slow,’ that give his players a breather.
Djenepo has visible troubles at recognising these interchanging rhythms. His positioning often means the recycling of the ball isn’t beneficial to the team. He sometimes stations himself wide and deep when Hasenhuttl would prefer him narrow and high – located somewhere in the red zone.
Against Manchester United in the first half, Southampton had endured a troubled five minute spell. Hasenhuttl wanted his players to resist the United press and retain possession. In the ensuing passage, Djenepo attempted a flick that went straight to Wan-Bissaka and then a pass around the corner that went straight into the clutches of the opposition’s central midfield. It prompted a brief cry of anguish from his boss, as well as some frank words given by teammates.
As always is the case with Moussa Djenepo, he makes for compulsive viewing, where momentum become surges of thrust that can make him unstoppable. The ability too err dangerously close to the line separated only by genius and madness is compelling, too.
Take minutes between 28 and 31.
To begin with, he skips past Fernandes with a shimmy and wins a corner. Three minutes later, he follows up by standing Fred still before a quick change pace discombobulates the Brazilian sufficiently enough to give away a foul. James Ward-Prowse, of course, scores from the resulting free-kick.
The forthright rawness that ascended Djenepo into the Premier League is in danger of getting stripped back. While he’s still capable of these spontaneous moments, they are becoming fewer by the game. Take the standout moment of spontaneity against Newcastle, where he somehow produces a sort of Cruyff flick that ends-up with both feet coming off the ground.
Fabian Schär recognises Ward-Prowse’s pass into Djenepo and begins to close the attacker down.
But Djenepo realises he has to play first time and through Schar or he will get closed down. He decides to wait a split second longer and plays through the defender’s legs to Walcott – if he tried to pass it normally and in front of his trailing leg, it would have been blocked.
In fairness, the second half self-implosion on Sunday wasn’t down to Djenepo. After all, he was subbed on the 71 minute mark, when Saints were still 2-1 up. And when one team brings on Edinson Cavani and the other brings on Shane Long, you are always going to be swimming against the tide.
But Djenepo’s erratic performance embodied the ongoing puzzle that is showing no signs of being deciphered. It should be said there are mitigating factors that have played a part. A niggling hamstring issue has not been shaken off and could be the prevailing reason as to why he still appears to be playing with the handbrake on.
A few weeks ago, Hasenhuttl himself stated the medical team focus on managing Djenepo’s fitness more than any other player in the squad.
Further significant reasons can also be warranted. A red card prior to lockdown accentuated his absence – then got injured again on the eve of Project Restart. The sending off was soon after a family death so Djenepo could be excused for any muddled thinking.
Him being the only quintessential winger in the side, is also proving troublesome, particularly with the small issue being Hasenhuttl doesn’t play with one.
A new financial situation, culture, city and fitness demands are a world away from what he’s used to. You only have to look at his Instagram when away with his national team to see the severe chasm in resources and facilities available compared to Southampton and the Premier League.
Moussa Djenepo is arguably the only member in the Southampton team that doesn’t conform to convention. He offers a very different dimension, a rare form of unpredictability when everyone else can seem a little rehearsed.
It’s one of his alluring traits. Djenepo is at his best and at his most threatening when he’s dribbling with fearless speed and salacious risk. The confused, confidence-stricken player Hasenhuttl sees today doesn’t help anyone.
Djenepo either has to mould into the machine or find his own distinct place. Otherwise he’ll become the spare part left in the garage.
Though submerged in indecision, at 22-years-old, time is on his side. A world of a footballer is fraught with peaks and troughs. In order to get out of the latter, Moussa Djenepo may have to figure out the puzzle himself.
Follow on Twitter @ProstInt / @J_Tanswell
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