Paul Onuachu has admitted that his move to Southampton did not work out as he had hoped, with the Super Eagles striker pointing to tactical incompatibility, poor timing and repeated managerial changes as major factors behind his difficult spell.
Onuachu arrived at Southampton in January carrying the reputation of a prolific goalscorer after impressive scoring campaigns in Belgium and Denmark. The move, however, never produced the impact expected from the towering Nigerian forward.
He struggled to establish himself as a consistent threat in the Premier League before eventually leaving the club, with his time at St Mary’s becoming one of the more frustrating chapters of his career.
Looking back on that period in an interview with Trabzonspor Magazine, Onuachu said the timing of the transfer was one of the first challenges he encountered, particularly because he joined midway through the season.
“There are times in football when things don’t go well. For me, the Southampton period was like that. First of all, the transfer happened in January.
“I haven’t regretted any of the decisions I’ve made, but sometimes there are questions you need to ask before signing with a team. You need to find out if their system suits you.”
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Southampton went through a turbulent period, with changes in the coaching setup bringing different ideas and systems.
The striker said those changes made it difficult for him to find the consistency and support required to settle into English football.
“Many coaching changes and systems that didn’t suit me. I knew the team had a 50-50 chance of staying in the league or getting relegated. But sometimes you take a risk and then you see if it works. I took the risk and it didn’t work,” he said.
His comments offer an insight into the difficulty of moving into a new league halfway through a season, particularly when a player arrives at a club already dealing with uncertainty over its direction.
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Rather than describing the transfer as a mistake, Onuachu said he does not regret the decision. Instead, he believes the experience taught him the importance of understanding a club’s footballing structure before making a move.
“Maybe I’m making excuses, but sometimes if you want to go to a team, you need to ask and learn very, very well about the system, how things work in the team, and everything else. That’s all.”
The Nigerian has since rebuilt his career in Turkey, where he has found a more favourable environment and regained his confidence in front of goal.
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