Journalist Tom Barclay has urged striker Che Adams to step up for Southampton.

How has Adams performed this season?

His goalscoring return this season has been much like his record since he made the £15m move from Birmingham.

Adams is yet to score this season, although he was unfortunate that he wasn't credited with the goal that opened the scoring against Manchester United last month after his strike deflected past David De Gea.

His overall record for the Saints stands at just 13 goals in 82 appearances across all competitions, a less than impressive return over more than two seasons.

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ENTER GIVEAWAY

His only other goal involvement this term came for Adam Armstrong on the opening day, with his WhoScored rating sitting at an uninspiring 6.84.

Adams was involved in nine goals in his first 13 league appearances last season, but only five more from then on in, which kept up a familiar pattern for the striker, who often goes on long runs of scoring and assisting and then long periods without doing so.

But with Southampton struggling for goals in the early parts of this season, Barclay knows that Adams needs to stand up and be counted.

What did Barclay say?

He told GIVEMESPORT: "Che Adams really needs to step up because he's a really good player on his day and seems to be quite a confidence player, or at least the statistics suggest that because he goes on runs where he scores goals and some of them are blinders.

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"Some of them are not just the long-range wonder goals, but some are good finishes. He's a good player, he's got all the power, good with his feet and needs to up his goals."

Why does Adams need to step up?

Southampton have made a decent start to the season, and whilst they're still winless, there's reason for optimism following notable draws with West Ham and then at Manchester City last weekend.

However, they've managed just four goals from their five matches and none in the previous two.

Armstrong got off the mark at Everton last month, but with no Danny Ings in their ranks, Adams is now the more senior of the two strikers and must step up in his absence and score the goals to keep Southampton in the Premier League.

Adams was left on the bench for the West Ham game but has started the other four and badly needs to get off the mark and then go on one of those impressive runs like he's done previously.