Southampton Q&A: Why did Saints sell strikers but not sign?

We have been putting your questions to BBC Radio Solent's Adam Blackmore.

In part three Adam focuses on Saints' struggles in front of goal and recruitment in the forwards positions.

Ben asked: Why have we offloaded our forwards and not signed replacements?

Adam answered: Hi Ben, if you mean recently then I don't see the offloading of Ben Brereton Diaz and Adam Armstrong on loan as big losses in the current squad. They have two goals between them all season in the Premier League. As much as I love Arma, he just does not threaten enough in the Premier League.

Saints still have Paul Onuachu, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Tyler Dibling, Matheus Fernandes, Cameron Archer, and hopefully Albert Gronbaek as forwards for the rest of the season. Would it make a big difference if the other two were around? I don't think so. The bigger question for me is if they can go down and come back up at the first time of asking, will they learn from this last summer and invest in a proper Premier League goalscorer and buy quality not quantity.

Mike asked: Why has the club gone through so many transfer windows without signing a proven goalscorer (we haven't really had one since Danny Ings)? We have signed promising youngsters but one by one they seem to be drifting away.

Adam answered: Hi Mike, I share your frustration with this. As I said in my reply to Ben, the strategy of quantity over quality has not worked. I get that the club in their first season back up needs to be careful and hope that some potential is realised, but it has nt really happened. And we all know that since Ings' departure Saints have not had the quality upfront to stay in the top flight.

Any players that have drifted away have not really gone on to pull up trees elsewhere, just accentuating the lack of judgement Saints have made. Che Adams was never prolific (but they should have kept him) Arma has always struggled in the Premier League, Onuachu has been misused and underused by a succession of managers...

Plus, that revolving door of managers that has created different styles of play also has not helped a number of players who have been en vogue or persona non grata depending on who is in charge of the team!

You are right - they need to stop taking chances with the most important end of the pitch and back someone to keep them up with his goals.

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