Paulo Gazzaniga has put pen to paper on a new four year contract that will take him through to the summer of 2019 at St Mary's if he sees it through.
Some people have always had it in for Paulo Gazzaniga and will not be pleased that the 23 year old keeper has signed a new deal, but they would be very short sighted.
In fairness to Gazzaniga a couple of errors early in his career have blotted his copybook with some and they have not been able to forgive him, although there are many mitigating circumstances as to why he should be cut some slack.
Firstly there is the fact that when he was signed in the summer of 2012 he was very much brought in with the intention of nurturing him slowly and bringing him on, however the performances of Kelvin Davis in the first four games of the Premier League season of 2012/13 meant that Gazza was thrown in at the deep end and this has been a pattern that has followed throughout his time at Saints, he always seems to get called on in times of crisis, never when he can have an easy ride.
His Premier League debut was against Aston Villa when with the Saints defence in tatters and Kelvin making errors, he was thrown in a 20 year old rookie behind the leakiest defence in the league and with only 20 League games to his name, In that game he made several vital saves as Saints won 4-1.
He had a break whilst Artur Boruc had his ill fated two game spell and then came in again and played a good part in some vital points gained, not least a relegation six pointer at QPR won 3-1, but some supporters could not cut him some slack for the job he was doing and how raw he was, they slaughtered his every mistake, just as they had done with Boruc in those first two games, the Pole was experienced enough to play through it, Gazza was 20 years old and his confidence was shot.
In 2013/14 he came back in again after Boruc was injured, but it was another baptism of fire, but the fans remember only the odd error of lack of confidence and not some solid displays he put in as Saints drew with Man City at home and beat Cardiff away, ironically he was back for the Cardiff home game and the 1-0 defeat does not show what a fine game he had that day.
But some will only remember the bad times, last season he played only twice, yes he had a bad kick out, but he didnt deserve to be slaughtered for that given that far more experienced defenders that day were more culpable but did not get slated by the fans.
Against Villa at home he looked more confident and his display that day suggests that if the crowd get off his back then he cold turn into a decent keeper, he has the height and command of the box, he has good reflexes, all he needs is experience and confidence and that cant be gained when a sizable minority are ironically cheering every time he catches a cross, what that achieves in supporting a football team i will never know.
What Gazza needs now is a spell on loan at a Championship club, a chance to shine without supporters still holding a grudge about an error in 2012, f he gets that thn he could come back to St Mary's a different player, one with confidence and ready to challenge for a first team spot.
He is still young for a goalkeeper and has the chance to get his career back on track, Saints fans should remember that Kelvin Davis was slammed by the supporters in his first two seasons at the club, back then he even made obscene gestures at the crowd who were on his back, they gave him the chance to show his worth and he went on to play a vital part in our climb up the leagues.
Likewise Artur Boruc, if some had their way he would never have played another game for the club after his first two.
In the past few years a worrying trait has set in to football, not just at St Mary's and that is to have a scapegoat, Gazza can console himself that the same people who screamed at him in his games so far also spent long periods last season screaming blue murder at Graziano Pelle, Shane Long, Sadio Mane & Dusan Tadic, yet all played major parts in our season and didn't deserve that stick, ironic now that some of those same people will claim that Sadio Mane is the best striker in the Premier and that Man United stay away.
In conclusion Im not asking anyone to like Paulo Gazzaniga, all im asking is that Saints fans give him a chance, his only crime has been to be the only man available in a crisis when far more experienced players have let us down, let him develop without prejudice, personally I want a great keeper on our hands not a gibbering wreck, a great keeper will help this club march on, a gibbering wreck will not help us at all and only convince the likes of Ronald Koeman and other star names that this is not a club whose supporters back their team through thick and thin, but one that always has a scapegoat, ask Matt Targett !!!