Southampton made two signings in January, as they looked to add to the squad ready for a promotion push.
As it has turned out, that automatic promotion push never really materialised, with Southampton now preparing for another shot at a return to the Premier League via the play-offs.
Both of the January arrivals came from Bournemouth and both were on loan, as David Brooks and Joe Rothwell made the short move along the coast.
The right wing position was an area where Russell Martin desperately wanted to bring someone in, with Ryan Fraser, Samuel Edozie and Kamaldeen Sulemana all wingers who prefer to play from the left.
Brooks was that signing, after the Saints had pursued a number of potential targets to play on the right of their front three.
Names such as Manuel Benson, Jack Clarke and Amad Diallo were all mentioned, but Southampton finally got their man when Brooks arrived on 30th January.
David Brooks has been disappointing at Southampton
Brooks had overcome a really tumultuous period in his career and life, with the Welshman diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin lymphoma in October 2021.
Having got the all clear, Brooks made his first appearance since the diagnosis in March of last year.
After getting himself up to speed ready for this season, Brooks had only started twice in the Premier League for Bournemouth and was determined to make the move to Southampton to play regular football.
He has done that, starting 11 times in the Championship.
He also made an almost instant impact as he provided two assists off the bench in a dramatic 5-3 win over Huddersfield Town in only his second game under Martin.
His fitness has improved since arriving and he has now started the last five games in a row, however his influence has slowed drastically and there are question marks over whether he should remain in the starting XI.
Since arriving at St Mary’s, Brooks has scored twice and provided five assists.
However, in the last ten games the 26-year-old has provided just two assists and failed to score as his form has dropped.
Southampton should have signed Fabio Carvalho over Brooks
In the 1-0 defeat to Stoke City last time out Brooks played as the most advanced of a midfield three.
Prior to that game, the Bournemouth man had played exclusively as a right winger but a season-ending injury to Stuart Armstrong saw Martin try Brooks in the role he has left.
Many expected Brooks to flourish in such a role, but he was bitterly disappointing.
Another player that Southampton were linked with in January prior to signing Brooks was Fabio Carvalho.
The Liverpool man had endured a difficult loan spell at RB Leipzig in Germany in the first half of the season and was recalled by his parent club as they sought a more beneficial loan.
At one stage, Southampton looked to be the frontrunners for his signature, but the 21-year-old instead joined fellow Championship side Hull City.
Whilst the benefit of hindsight should not be understated, it looks as though Southampton would have been better off singing the former Fulham player.
Firstly, Carvalho’s versatility would have allowed him to play anywhere across the frontline, as well as in the advanced midfield role Brooks struggled in on Saturday.
The main reason, though, is simply that the Portugal under-21 international’s return has just been far better than that of Brooks.
According to Transfermarkt, Carvalho has started all 19 games since he arrived at the Tigers and has been influential in their play-off push as he has scored nine Championship goals and provided two assists.
All the more painful is the fact that one of these goals was the second in Hull’s 2-1 win over Southampton in February.
The youngster has also stepped up when it has really matters at the business end of the season, registering seven goal contributions in Hull’s last seven games.
Whilst Brooks’ loan spell has been mutually beneficial for both club and player, it is difficult not to think that the Saints would have been better off if Carvalho chose to join in January.