da fezbet： This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
da poker： Since arriving on the south coast, Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhüttl has earned a reputation for giving young, talented players a chance to prove themselves at first-team level, and another beneficiary of the Austrian’s footballing philosophy regarding youth could be defender Kevin Danso.
Danso, 21, arrived on loan at the club in the summer transfer window from Augsburg, and has started two league games for the Saints in the 2019/20 campaign.
Although Hasenhüttl did opt to give the Austria U21 international an opportunity in the first-team, Danso received a red card in his side’s defeat to Manchester United and has since been restricted to just 45 minutes of first-team action in the Premier League.
Despite the fact Danso was sent off against the Red Devils, the 2019/20 campaign presents the perfect opportunity for this highly promising defensive prospect to make his name on English soil, if he is afforded ample opportunity to prove himself.
A battling defender with the ability to contribute in the final-third – as his assist for Jannik Vestergaard’s equaliser against United illuminated – Danso’s profile as an attacking defender will have been attractive to Hasenhüttl in his bid to construct a balanced Saints side in his first full season in charge on the south coast, and despite his youthful age, Danso has had his fair share of experience.
With 10 appearances for Austria’s U21 side as well as over 40 appearances for Augsburg’s first-team, Danso possesses a respectable level of first-team experience that should assist in impressing during his loan spell on the south coast.
Southampton currently sit 17th in the Premier League, hovering above the relegation zone by a slim margin, and therefore it may be difficult for their Austrian coach to turn to youthful yet promising prospects as opposed to experienced top-flight players with history of battling in a Premier League relegation battle, such as Nathan Redmond, Oriol Romeu and Ryan Bertrand.
Although his arrival with the Saints may not have raised any eyebrows given the low-profile nature of the transfer, if Hasenhüttl can find the faith to give Danso an extended run in the first-team, this could be a player with the ability to handsomely reward his manager’s faith in the 2019/20 campaign.