BRO SHOW FOR RALPH Armando proves worth
ARMANDO BROJA had a manager to prove wrong and a famous name to live up to on his first Premier League start.
And the Albanian international striker – on loan from Chelsea – delivered in magnificent style with the winner to give Saints a precious first league victory of the season.
With Southampton desperate for goals Broja – who can’t stop scoring for his country – last week heard Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl say he was “a good sub” and publicly questioned if he was ready.
But the Slough-born youngster, 20, given the iconic middle name of his dad’s favourite player Diego Maradona, put in a topclass display to bring the St Mary’s crowd to their feet.
Despite his reservations, Hasenhuttl turned to Broja and dropped Adam Armstrong, the £15million summer signing from Blackburn, to the bench – and the gamble paid off handsomely.
Hasenhuttl said: “I was much happier with Armando’s performance today than against Sheffield United in the League Cup.
“The goals for his national team have helped his confidence so that was a factor in picking him.
“Che Adams was injured, we needed a big striker up front. Armando scored for Albania and I decided that it was time to see what he could do.
“We tried a new couple up front today to try and be more dangerous, and it worked. It was a deserved win.”
And on his recent FA charge for comments about VAR official Mike Dean following the James Ward-Prowse red card at Chelsea, he added: “I have a personal hearing at the FA next week, I think maybe they misunderstood me or the media didn’t understand what I said.”
Broja said: “It was amazing to get my first
start in the Premier League and scoring as well is a dream come true, the favourite moment of my career so far.”
For a variety of injury and travel-related reasons Leeds were without key players Kalvin Phillips, Raphinha and Patrick Bamford – and it showed.
The team of Marcelo Bielsa – in his 150th game in charge of the Whites – looked a pale shadow of last season’s cavaliers.
Leeds offered nothing going forward before the break. The visitors briefly showed more intensity after the interval, and Jack Harrison saw his shot deflected over the bar.
But Broja broke the deadlock after 53 minutes following a quick break.
Moussa Djenepo sent Nathan Redmond clear and from his perfectly timed pass a gleeful debutant crashed the ball home.
Bielsa, whose side looked like relegation candidates on this showing mitigated only by missing such key performers, said: “The defeat was justified for the first half alone.
“We were overcome, and didn’t play well. It wasn’t the usual performance from us.”