What Southampton coach said about subbing Onuachu, nephew of ex-Super Eagles CB v Crystal Palace

Southampton manager Ivan Juric has shed light on his decision to replace Paul Onuachu and Lesley Ugochukwu, the nephew of former Super Eagles central defender Onyekachi Apam, during the 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace on Wednesday night at St. Mary’s Stadium.

The Saints were on course to secure an important victory as Onuachu gave them the lead in the first half.

However, a late strike from Matheus França leveled the score in added time, left Southampton heartbroken as they missed the chance to avoid a 17-year-old unwanted Premier League record.

Despite Onuachu's impressive performance, Juric replaced him in the 89th minute, bringing on Japanese defender Yukinari Sugawara.

Meanwhile, Lesley Ugochukwu was also substituted for Joe Aribo as Southampton aimed to solidify their defense and secure the win.

However, the changes had the opposite effect, as Crystal Palace took control of the match and scored an equalizer in extra time, leveling the score after the 90 minutes had elapsed.

Despite the disappointing result, Juric expressed satisfaction with his team's performance but explained that the substitutions were necessary due to the players fatigue and injury.

"I was really satisfied with the game and I did not want to change anything. Lesley Ugochukwu had a problem and I had to change," Juric was quoted as saying by Daily Echo. 

"Then it was Flynn after that, Paul was exhausted, Ryan Manning had a problem with his hand. I was really happy with the performance but needed to change it."

Onuachu has been in great form recently, scoring four goals and providing one assist since the start of the year.

His goal against Crystal Palace was another strong contribution in his bid to help Southampton avoid relegation.

The draw means Southampton still faces a tough fight to secure safety in the Premier League, with Juric’s men needing to collect more points in the coming weeks to avoid making unwanted history as the worst team in Premier League history.

Adeyemi Adewale

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