Tom Barclay says he sympathises with Southampton fans that are frustrated by Nathan Redmond, claiming his form is "inconsistent".
Redmond is now in his sixth season as a Saints player since making the £10m move from Norwich back in 2016.
However, the winger has not been able to replicate the form he showed in his first few years in recent seasons and Barclay understands why the St Mary's faithful occasionally lose patience with him.
What are Redmond's stats like?
Redmond's overall record as a Saints player stands at 28 goals and 23 assists in more than 200 appearances, which isn't the most productive considering he plays in the front-three.
Furthermore, 18 of those goals came in his first three years at the club and that included the 2017-2018 when he found the net just once.
His best campaign on the South Coast was when he was directly involved in 15 goals across all competitions the following season to help Southampton narrowly avoid relegation and finish 16th.
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Redmond, valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt, has kept contributing, scoring five and assisting six in the Covid-hit 2019-2020 season, but has continued to blow hot and cold, which perhaps explains why he infuriates supporters.
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He gave Southampton fans a timely reminder of his quality by assisting the winner in a man-of-the-match performance against Leeds last weekend, with his 8.33 WhoScored rating comfortably his best in the Premier League this season.
But that was just his second goal or assist in league games in 15 matches, dating back to last season, and Barclay completely understands why the St Mary's faithful become frustrated with him.
What did Barclay say?
He told GIVEMESPORT: "I know he's divisive because his performances are inconsistent. But by being a creative winger, by the very nature, those players are probably the most inconsistent of any, but I see why Southampton fans can be frustrated with him."
Can Redmond take his game to the next level?
He's one of those classic Premier League wingers that on their day look like a world beater and you wonder how they're not playing for a bigger club but can equally go months without contributing much and are as easily forgotten about.
But Redmond is no longer the promising youngster he once was. He turns 28 in March and should therefore be entering the peak of his career, which means it's about time he started showing more of the type of performance he produced against Leeds on a consistent basis.
There's no doubt he has the ability, but putting it into practice more often than not remains a difficult task.