"We saw [Dejan] Lovren as the main man at the back last season, but [Jose] Fonte has taken that mantle."
Those were the words of Jamie Carragher after Southampton's 1-0 victory at Old Trafford in January. Fonte had produced a man-of-the-match performance to stifle Robin van Persie. The Dutchman had been substituted on the hour mark after having a single shot and just three touches in the opposition penalty area.
Carragher's "we" referred to pundits, ex-players and interested onlookers, but could so easily have included his previous employers. When Liverpool chose to spend £20m on a Southampton central defender last summer, it was Lovren and not Fonte who was targeted, unsettled and ultimately purchased. The temptation is to sweepingly suggest that Liverpool bought the wrong man. Hindsight is always 20/20.
It was not the first time Fonte had been overlooked, nor would it be the last. When the PFA's Team of the Year was announced on Saturday, the presence of Chelsea's Gary Cahill over Southampton's captain raised the most fervent public disagreement. Not even Cahill's close family could raise much of an argument on that front.
Whatever the merits of Liverpool's purchase, there is no doubt that Southampton have improved in Lovren's absence. Ronald Koeman's side have conceded 10.0 shots per game this season, second only to Manchester City (9.7), and have the joint-best defence in the Premier League despite sitting 20 points behind leaders Chelsea. After selling £65m worth of defenders last summer, Southampton have conceded 19 fewer goals than at this stage last season.
There is no single reason for that unexpected progression. The retention (and subsequent excellence) of Morgan Schneiderlin must be noted, as should the form of loan signing Toby Alderweireld and new man Ryan Bertrand. Fraser Forster's performances before injury also deserve praise, although clearly explain more about the lack of goals conceded than shots faced.
Yet it is Fonte himself who perhaps merits the most credit. His partnership with Alderweireld has flourished, the Belgian happy to sit deep whilst Fonte enjoys stepping up to intercept play and make tackles. While Fonte makes 3.1 interceptions per 90 minutes, Alderweireld makes just 1.4. One goes, one stays.
Fonte's 70 successful tackles is also 16 more than his nearest competitor Fabricio Coloccini. Only Tottenham (22) have made more tackles per game than Southampton (21.9) this season. There's Mauricio Pochettino's Bielsa-esque (or Bielsa-lite, depending on your mood) approach in action.
The Portuguese is also responsible for stepping out in an attacking sense too, a ball-playing central defender who is incredibly comfortable on the ball. Fonte averages 54.1 passes per 90 minutes this season, ten per game more than his defensive partner. No PL centre-back can boast more successful passes this season.
One of the reasons why Fonte is so disregarded is that you so rarely notice his defending. It's as if his unflappable assuredness counts against him. Comparisons with Ricardo Carvalho are understandable.
One suspects that Fonte is content to allow others to take the limelight. His is a career reborn in England following the disappointment of rejection by Benfica. Joining the Eagles as a 23-year-old after catching the eye playing for Vitoria de Setubal, Fonte was first loaned and then sold before even making a league appearance in the Estadio da Luz.
Being sold for £1.2m by Crystal Palace to then-League One Southampton in 2010, Fonte would have been forgiven for thinking his career was on the dwindle. Instead, he became intrinsically linked to Southampton's rise through the divisions.
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