Everton ‘low’ environment in focus as Mason Holgate makes nightmare Southampton start vs Sunderland
There is “no hiding” from the “bad start” Mason Holgate made to his loan spell at Southampton as he hasn’t got back to a “place of positivity” after leaving Everton, according to Dean Jones.
The former Eurosport journalist said to GIVEMESPORT (9 September) that the Toffees defender has come from an “environment, at Everton, where everyone was “low” while the 26-year-old was “making high-profile mistakes”, so may take time to get back to his best with the Saints.
Holgate made his debut for Russell Martin in the 5-0 defeat to Sunderland last week (2 September), where his side were 4-0 down when he was taken off just after the hour.
Jones said: “It was a bad start. There’s absolutely no hiding from that. But no-one is going to feel that more than Mason Holgate. Russell Martin has already tried to deflect the responsibility from Holgate onto himself by saying, ‘I shouldn’t have picked him and it was too soon’.
“Perhaps that was the case. Holgate is coming from an environment, at Everton, where everyone was low. Holgate, if he was to play, was probably making high-profile mistakes.
“He needs to get back to a place of positivity, and that’s going to come with clean sheets. They will come at Southampton.”
Bad to worse
Since Holgate’s time at Everton had turned into somewhat of a nightmare last season he would have been hoping to turn over a new leaf on the south coast.
But it was more of the same as the relegated side were hammered at the Stadium of Light, suggesting the Englishman is probably pretty low on confidence.
He surely did need a change of environment, but will also need to play himself into some form after sporadic and unhappy appearances under Sean Dyche last term.
Having only been handed scraps by the Everton boss, and largely out of position, it might have come as some shock to actually get a start at centre-back.
It can’t really be denied that the environment at Goodison Park is far from the most rosy in English football and few defensively have been in top form for any length of time.
But while that may have had a bearing on Holgate’s individual form it can’t be held responsible for Martin’s side going down so heavily in the North East.
In other Everton news, a player has commented on why he snubbed a contract offer from the Toffees this summer amid constant turmoil at the club.