It’s fair to say that Nathan Redmond has so far failed to live up to the hype.
The Southampton winger has shown flashes of his talent but, crucially, it’s only flashes.
Under new boss Ralph Hasenhüttl, however, he might finally have found the manager to unlock his undoubted potential.
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Southampton struggled for form at the start of the season and their collective troubles were reflected in the individual points totals of their players on Dream Team.
Since Mark Hughes’ departure in early December, the Saints have been buoyed by the arrival of Hasenhüttl and no player has benefited more from a confidence boost than Redmond.
All of a sudden the 24-year-old is emerging as a crucial part of Southampton’s revival and has enjoyed a fruitful few weeks on Dream Team.
Redmond did nothing more than coast through the early weeks of the season, regularly picking up poor ratings well below 7 on Dream Team.
The Saints man also endured a nightmare spell over six consecutive Game Weeks between 6 and 11, failing to register a single point.
It’s that nightmarish period that makes the winger’s recovery and subsequent redemption story all the more impressive, as he’s now becoming somewhat of a hidden gem.
Redmond is now Southampton’s highest points-scoring player on 61 points and has flourished over the past four Game Weeks.
He registered five points in the 3-2 victory over Arsenal in Game Week 16, before picking up a further 18 in the double header in Game Week 17.
The winger then perhaps understandably fired blanks in Game Week 18 against both Man City and Chelsea, before returning in style against Derby in the FA Cup at the weekend, scoring twice and earning himself 18 points.
Southampton’s upcoming fixtures look favourable on paper with the FA Cup third round replay against Derby next on the agenda.
Back-to-back home games against Everton and Crystal Palace then follow, before the Saints begin February with a trip to Burnley and a meeting with Cardiff at St Mary’s.
These are the fixtures in which Hasenhüttl will hope his side can make up ground on their relegation rivals and Redmond will see them as an opportunity to continue his good form.
With a price tag of just £2m on Dream Team, Redmond is one of the best bargains available for those managers looking for a cheap in-form player.
The Saints man is also listed as a midfielder despite playing in an advanced role in recent weeks, even deployed as a striker in the absence of Danny Ings and Charlie Austin.
A combination of his new found confidence and Southampton’s upcoming fixtures make Redmond a player to seriously consider.
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