With such a problem requiring specialist treatment, you would have thought that someone would have contacted the club to inform them. This wasn't the case and Saints went on an embarrassing search for answers yesterday. Gordon Strachan said: "Delgado has not turned up and we are looking into the reasons why. Once we find the reasons, we will make a further statement."
Regardless of any subsequent statement it is painfully apparent that Delgado is just looking to spend as much time possible at home before returning to his club. Saints paid £3.2 million to bring the striker over and have received a game and a half from him and numerous remarks, of dubious source, aimed against the club.
The latest from everyone's font of truth, The Ecuadorian FA website attributed the following to Agustin: "I would have liked to have been transferred, but if this has not happened I must return to Southampton, with the greatest of desire that thing work out for me and my team."
This had followed his statement that, "I have a three-year contract with Southampton, so it is their decision if they want to keep me or sell me to another team. I plan on returning to get ready for next season." So you can see why everyone is a little confused at his apparent change of attitude every five minutes.
As with every walk of life there are those committed to doing a good job and who put pride in their efforts and idle, selfish wasters looking to take as much as they can for as little effort as possible. Football has more than it's fair share of the latter due to the mollycoddling that many players receive from their earliest days.
As always there are two sides to everything. The club have been a little lacking in enquiring as to Delgado's status and integration into the club. It would appear as though the club have little idea of how to help foreign players settle into a new community. It took them a few months to even come up with the idea of language lessons.
In addition Agustin was signed just as Strachan took over and the new manager constantly makes it clear that Agustin was not his idea. Delgado has been under pressure from his FA in the run up to the World Cup which resulted in his early departure last season to prepare.
Despite the frustration and jokes Saints fans have to put up with over the last couple of days, we can only sit tight and hope Agustin appears in the next few days. If it turns out that the August 1st date is accurate, with no nasty accompanying injury, then the club will have to resolve the matter once and for all. That may mean putting him on the transfer list or suspending his wages. In fact, the club weren't paying Agustin for the back end of last season as the player returned home.
As this was at Delgado's request perhaps there's some hope for the situation yet and this has been a misunderstanding. No, I don't believe it for a second either, but at thought I'd entertain the thought for a minute.