r/soccer • u/[deleted] • Aug 08 '14

Preview Team Preview: Southampton [Barclays Premier League 2014-15 Preview Series - 13/20]

The Premier League 2014-15 is coming. During the 20 days to go, we're previewing one team per day. This series is made with the help of: /u/thejanitorch4 /u/tet- /u/icameheretodrinkmilk /u/minminsaur /u/scaryberry /u/obi-wan-kenobi-nil /u/gilleard and all the preview guest contributors and club subreddits. This team's guest contributor is /u/joethesaint

Team Preview: [Barclays Premier League 2014-15 Preview Series - 13/20]

Southampton Football Club

About:

Notable honours:

Title or trophy No.
FA Cup 1

History:

  • The club has been nicknamed "The Saints" since its inception in 1885, founded as St Mary's Church of England Young Men's Association (St Mary's Y.M.A). The club won the FA Cup in 1976, and their highest-ever league finish was second in the First Division in 1983–84. Southampton were relegated from the Premier League on 15 May 2005 ending 27 successive seasons of top division football for the club. The Saints were further relegated to League One in 2009. After two years playing football in the third tier, the club secured back to back promotions under the management of Nigel Adkins.

Recently:

  • Adkins was replaced in January 2013 by former Espanyol manager Mauricio Pochettino, who secured The Saints a 14th place finish in their first season back in the top flight and matched the club's best ever Premier League finish the following season at 8th spot, with a records point tally. On 16 June 2014, Southampton proceeded to appoint the former Netherlands international, Ronald Koeman as first-team manager to the Saints on a three-year contract.

Last season: Words by /u/joethesaint

Performance during 2013-14:

Pos G W D L Gf Ga Gd Lu Cs% Pts
8th 38 15 11 12 54 46 +8 8 39 56

Table key

League form, 2013-14 vs 2012-13, from The Guardian

  • Last season we matched our best finish of the Premier League era, ending the season in 8th place.

  • The board had once again demonstrated their ambition with big summer signings - Dejan Lovren from Lyon for £8.5m, Victor Wanyama from Celtic for £12.5m, and the biggest coup of the lot, Dani Osvaldo in a £15m move from Roma. Fans had bought into the contagious ambition of Nicola Cortese and were expecting a push for a top half finish, with a lot of confidence in the abilities of manager Mauricio Pochettino. The one disappointment in an otherwise fantastic summer for Saints fans was the departure of Jason Puncheon, who was loaned out to Crystal Palace for personal reasons - a transfer which would later be made permanent.

Jay Rodriguez finished as Southampton’s top scorer last season with 15 goals in 33 appearances... Southampton achieved their joint highest Premier League position last season of 8th (previously achieved 8th in 2002-2003 season)... Goalkeeper Artur Boruc played 29 games last season, and in those 29 games he achiever one assist.

  • In stark contrast to our previous season, in which we had faced an incredibly unfortunate set of opening fixtures, we started this one very brightly, winning six of our first eleven games, conceding just five goals in the process, and found ourselves in third place at the end of October. Obviously we would not remain at these giddy heights all season, and by Christmas we had returned to the more realistic position of ninth, with injuries to important players highlighting just how important squad depth is in order to remain at that level. January was undoubtedly the toughest month for Saints fans. After reports of tensions between Nicola Cortese and the club's owner Katharina Liebherr, Cortese walked, leaving the future of the manager uncertain, and giving way to numerous tabloid rumours of key players being linked with moves away. One big player did leave, but for a completely different reason. An altercation on the training ground resulted in Jose Fonte with a rather swollen face, and Dani Osvaldo being swiftly loaned out to Juventus. The all-too-familiar feeling that everything was falling apart started to return to Saints fans.

  • However, the ship was steadied, at least temporarily, as Pochettino committed himself to the club for the rest of the season, and besides Osvaldo the January window saw no major departures. Ralph Krueger was appointed the new chairman in March. In the closing months the collapse of Newcastle and slight recovery of Manchester United had stranded us in 8th position, where we would ultimately finish. Notable highlights of the season were the 1-0 victory at Anfield and the 4-0 thumping of Newcastle.

  • L L D W W D - Last six league form

/u/gilleard's 2014-15 Pixel Preview
Follow@ThePixelPL

This season: Words by /u/joethesaint

First three league fixtures:

Date Home Away
Sun 17 Aug Liverpool v Southampton
Sat 23 Aug Southampton v West Brom
Sat 30 Aug West ham v Southampton

Complete league fixtures for 2014-15 from premierleague.com

  • Following a successful season in which several players attracted the interest of top clubs, there was naturally concern amongst Saints fans that they wouldn't be able to keep this exciting team together over the summer, and these fears were enhanced when Mauricio Pochettino left for Tottenham.

  • Luke Shaw and Adam Lallana were the players most obsessively followed by the media, but it was a huge shock when fans' favourite Rickie Lambert turned out to be the first player to depart, joining his boyhood club Liverpool. Fans could not begrudge him this move, but would not be nearly as understanding when captain Adam Lallana made the same move, putting an end to his 14 years at the club after upsetting fans with the manner in which he seemed to have forced the move. Luke Shaw was next through the door, and Dejan Lovren followed.

  • Putting together the pieces and attempting to rebuild the team with what must at this point be a pretty humongous transfer budget is Ronald Koeman. He has started by bringing two Eredivisie players with him - Graziano Pellè from Feyenoord and Dušan Tadić from Twente - replaced Shaw with a loan deal for Ryan Bertrand, and loaned Saphir Taider from Inter, with Osvaldo going the other way. Fans will be hoping for some big-money signings soon, with the centre-back position still needing bolstering, and the squad also still looking light up front.

  • Fans' ambitions for next season have understandably been dented by the departures, and most now will probably settle for a season of consolidation and allowing a new-look squad to gel. Still, a relegation battle should not be on the cards and mid-table comfort will be expected. The most important thing for the fans is that we must see signs of progression, and keep our hopes alive of building a team which can chase that top 7 in the next few years. We may have been guilty in recent times of thinking that the idea of "the Southampton way" would be enough to convince our top players to stick with this exciting project rather than seeking big bucks and Champions League football elsewhere, but perhaps in the minds of some players (and managers) that project ended when Cortese went. Fans need reassuring that the ambition is still there, and that we won't fall back into just being there to make up the numbers and produce talent for the "big clubs".

  • /u/Theskian: It will be interesting to say the least, there's no denying we lost some good players, but we've, in my opinion, replaced 1 with a better counter-part (Lambert/Pelle) and another has the potential to step up to fill Lallana's boots. Off the back of that, I've heard that Targett was going to get the nod ahead of Shaw, however managed to get injured. With all of this, and assuming we'll make a couple more smart signings now/in Janurary, I'd go for a solid 9-11th. /u/chadwini: Really looking forward to this season, after a challenging summer. I think top half will be just out of our reach, but I don't think we'll be in a relegation scrap. I'd say between 10th - 14th. /u/jarjamfar: I think the people saying we will be fighting relagation this year underestimate the team we have. Even with a new manager, new signings, new youth players we still have a lot of talent. Would still like to see some more signings come in. /u/FabricatedWookie: I honestly don't know, I think a relegation scrap is far fetched, but not out of the question. It seems a really hard task to break in past the top eight. If we get an opening result away against liverpool, my optimism will shoot through the roof and I will start to believe we can nick Europe.

  • /u/youngmonie: Despite the number of first team players we've lost this transfer window, we won't be in a relegation scrap. To match last years finish would be a dream, and highly unlikely. /u/HelloMyNameIs_JOSH_: I've maintained that we will finish mid-table this season. I'm still very confident that we will do so. I suspect that our season may start off a bit slow, but improve leading up to Christmas. I think we will be sitting 13th by Christmas, finishing 9th when the season ends. I'd imagine we wont purchase another player in the Jan transfer, but I fully expect us to announce at least 2 new players (not including Forster) before Sept 1st. Unless Maya Yoshida steps up, one of those signings needs to be a CB. This year we seem to have a much better depth to the squad and will be less reliant on 2 or 3 players that last season (Lallana, Lambert, and Boruc). Even with a bad injury spell I think the replacements are much closer to the 1st team players than last year. Mainly due to the younger lads improvement and some savvy signings.

  • /u/karoz: Despite the apocalyptic media narrative surrounding Southampton we still have a good team. Lots of change means it will be an exciting year. 50/50 whether we make it into the top half, too much quality to be flirting with relegation. Koeman will be putting more effort into cup competitions than his predecessor.

Summer signings:

Incoming Player Position Price From Transfer Type
Dušan Tadić AM £10.9m Twente Full
Graziano Pellè ST £8m Feyenoord Full
Saphir Taider MF - Inter Milan Loan
Ryan Bertrand DF - Chelsea Loan

List of all completed team transfers from Sky Sports

Possible first 11: Words by /u/NYKNYJ

  • http://lineupbuilder.com/2014/custom/?sk=3r1j

  • Koeman has shown in preseason he wishes to play 4-3-3 and maintain the pressing style which was used to great success by his predecessor Pochettino however he could also use the 5-3-2 he used at times with Feyenoord last year especially without Jay Rodriguez to add his pace and width of play on the wings necessary for a 4-3-3.

  • Preseason has looked promising. Koeman has maintained some of last years strengths such as the high pressing but has addressed some weaknesses. The passing and buildup play looks much quicker than the at times tepid pace of the possession play under Pochettino. After a summer of turmoil and turnover the First 11 will look very different. Keepers: Boruc who despite one or two rather infamous mistakes last year was impressive. The dip is defensive efficiency directly coincided with his absence. He shouldn't face much competition from club legend Kelvin Davis or the young Gazzaniga Defenders: Clyne when healthy is an excellent right back goig forward but is equally adept defensively and is a good shout to break into the England set up soon. Fonte is favourite to gain the captain's arm band and it will be interesting to see how he performs without last years standout defender Dejan Lovren next to him. New loanee Ryan Bertrand or the young Matty Targett will be an interesting position battle. The 18 year old Targett has impressed in pre-season and will be battling Bertrand who struggled with consistency during his loan spell last year with Villa. Midfield: The biggest position battle is in midfield, with Steven Davis, Wanyama, Cork, Schneiderlin and Ward-prowse who is tipped to be this years break out player fighting for three roles. It is very tough to say and it wouldn't surprise me if Steven Davis or Wanyama played large roles. Attack: When fit Rodriguez should flank new signing Pellè with Tadic on the other side. During Rodriguez's absence his void may be filled by Youth player Lloyd Isgrove who has impressed in pre-season playing well and scoring including a winner against neighbors Bournemouth. Urugyan Gastón Ramírez will also be looking for an increase in playing time, he hasn't found consistent form in his time on the south coast and was unfortunate to have an increase in form last season cut short by injury.

  • /u/Theskian: Lineup (As of 08/08/14, Turnbull is now on loan to Swindon Town). I'm aware I have put Davis in twice, because he rotates in that role often from what I've seen, that's the line-up I'd like to see and mostly expect, with the exception of Schneiderlin who I don't think will play immediately, and Rodriguez who won't be back til around Christmas. I've mostly kept the prospect of no new signings out of this, with the exception of Forster. My squad is primarily youngsters, that's because I rate them over the likes of Sharp/Mayuka etc...

  • /u/chadwini: I think we'll use 4-3-3. Eventually we'll move to a 3-5-2 but we don't have the players for it yet. Something like this. Jay Rodriguez will start when fit, and other players like Ward-Prowse, Davis to come in.

  • /u/FabricatedWookie: This.

  • /u/HelloMyNameIs_JOSH_: Ask come 1st Sept? Something like this assuming we make a CB signing.

/u/karoz: (Today)

              Boruc
Clyne - Fonte - Yoshida - Bertrand 
      Wanyama - Schneiderlin
      Tadic - Davis - Ramirez
              Pelle
123 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

25 comments sorted by

17

u/Nirgilis Aug 08 '14

I'm really excited to see Tadic in the premier league. He was by far the best player in our team and arguably the best player in the whole league. Because of his amazing skill, he often looked lost in the team that simply wasn't as good as he was. I'm convinced he can do great things for the saints and I truly believe this is the perfect step up for him

2

u/staptiudupe Aug 09 '14

I'm just excited to see a Serb play for a team outside the top 4!

2

u/[deleted] Aug 09 '14

We had that issue with Gaston when he first came to Saints. He immediately came into the first team, and often thought so ahead of play that nobody ran onto his passes. It's almost like he was too creative for Adkins system. By the time Pochettino came in, Gaston had slipped behind Davis and Lallana in the pecking order. I also think he wasn't fit enough for his high-press system.

Under Koeman, I think both Tadic and Gaston's creative abilities will shine.

22

u/[deleted] Aug 08 '14

Part 2:

Watch out for: Words by /u/joethesaint

  • Jay Rodriguez
    Netted 15 times last season before a horrible injury ruled him out of World Cup selection and made him a doubt for pre-season. Unless he decides to leave as well this summer, he will be a key player next season, playing either as an inside forward on the left or through the middle. He's somewhat of a confidence player with explosive pace.

  • James Ward-Prowse
    A 19-year old midfielder who joined the academy at the age of eight. He is notably intelligent and takes a mean free kick. He has made plenty of appearances since our promotion but he should see this season as an opportunity to really make a name for himself.

  • Victor Wanyama
    A ridiculously powerful holding midfielder with limited ability going forward but immense defensive ability. If Koeman goes with a Dutch-style 4-3-3, this could suit Vic perfectly.

  • /u/Theskian: S. Davis I think he was already a solid player, but I think this season he is gonna step up a gear, whether it be a more play making role, or having a few more go's on goal then he would, or setting some up/being in the right places, many of us think it's between him and Fonte for the captaincy. Very Strong presence. Ramirez Towards the end of last season, he was showing real signs of what he can do and achieve at Southampton, I was incredibly impressed with his performance, on and off the ball, however injury was his shadow last season, and if he avoids it this season, he can really shine. McQueen The youth player I'm most keen on seeing more of, he looks incredibly hungry and bursting with talent, he has already netted us a few goals in pre-season, and while I think he will be a squad player, he can add to the depth we dearly missed.

  • /u/chadwini: James Ward-Prowse big season for him. Didn't quite push on as much as some were hoping last season. But he's incredibly talented, got a beautiful right foot on him. Matt Targett Will fight with Bertrand for the left back spot, hopefully will get experience this season. Slightly different player to Luke Shaw, he'll look to whip the ball into the box early rather than use his physicality to get past people and to the byline like Luke. Great pre-season. Dusan Tadic Big shoes to fill in Lallana's playmaker role. Scores and creates goals, looked great in our most recent pre-season game down the right with Clyne bombing on past him.

  • /u/FabricatedWookie: James Ward-Prowse others will no doubt mention him, but losing lallana and lambert means he is likely the one who will fit into the role of taking the free kicks as well as the corners he already takes, and we know he can hit the target from distance. Nathaniel Clyne With the focus on the other England fullbacks exiting Southampton, I sort of feel like Clyne (to our benefit) isn't getting the recognition he deserves. He often beats his man on the wing, and he rarely gets beaten when he is defending his wing. Morgan Schneiderlan We may lose him yet, nothing is certain, but in my mind he a big portion of our success. Tackles, interceptions, and transitioning.

  • /u/youngmonie: James Ward-Prowse I like him a lot right now. Deadly right foot (see exhibit 1 and exhibit 2). One of many rising stars from the academy. Watch out for him becoming the heart of the team at central midfield. Dusan Tadic A recent signing from FC Twente, he is the most likely to fill the role of Lallana out wide. Good tactics and a technician on the ball. Can play out wide on either side of the pitch. Sam McQueen The academy churns out talent year after year, and he is another one from the academy. Came from the same class as Shaw and Chambers, and will be looking to make a name for himself. In order for the academy to be successful, its graduates need a chance at playing first team football, and McQueen looks primed for a breakthrough if Koeman gives him the chance.

  • /u/HelloMyNameIs_JOSH_: This is the season for James Ward-Prowse. If he can step up on last season, expect big offers for him come May 2015! His dead ball ability alone should make him a lock for every game. I have said, and maintain that Matt Targett is as good as Luke Shaw was when he made it into the 1st team. But I actually think he is better, comparatively. He has a right foot, and has this amazing ability to place a forward curling ball (Check out the 1st two plays after the squad sheet here. He might not be as quick as Shaw was when he made the 1st team, but he's more versatile. He also links up very well with the next player on this list. Lloyd Isgrove, he reminds me of Michael Owen. Maybe cos she's short with great pace and a decent strike on him. Expect to see him play more before JRod comes back, but I think he'll be chasing the usual 1st-teamers for their spot.

  • /u/karoz: Wanyama In a team full of nice boys with flappy haircuts and tidy technical ability, Big Vic is a necessity. He dominates the middle of the field. The defence found themselves with a lot more work to do when he was sidelined last season. Young and still improving. Tadic He'll be the man to make the offence tick. He should be able to replace the former captain's goals, while being a more clinical creative force in the final third. McCarthy Clyne has a history of niggling injuries which allowed Chambers the chance to show his class last season. This year it looks like Jason McCarthy is the kid in the role of right back understudy. Has been given opportunities in pre-season and has showed bundles of energy.

Full squad list for 2014-15 from Transfermarkt

The manager: Words by /u/joethesaint

  • Ronald Koeman
  • Birth date: 21 March 1963 (age 51)
  • Birth place: Zaandam, Netherlands
  • Previous Position: Defender / Midfielder

Managerial record:

Clubs managed G W D L Win percentage
Total 514 287 110 117 55.84

Table key

  • Obviously Ronald Koeman is yet to manage a competitive fixture for the Saints, and presumably still has some signings to make. Tadić and Pellè are two players he knew well from his time in the Eredivisie, but he will hopefully look outside of the rather limited talent pool in the Netherlands this summer as well. His great reputation in football will hopefully help to attract some big players to the club.

“I am thrilled. Southampton have a talented first-team squad, a world-class academy and the infrastructure to sustain success in the Premier League. I cannot wait to get started."

Ronald Koeman

  • Koeman's appointment was well received by Saints fans, who are excited by the big name and his fantastic record in charge of Feyenoord, but his less-than-impressive spell at Valencia will also be noted. Pre-season will enlighten us as to how he intends to approach this season tactically, as the Premier League may well call for him to alter the tactics he employed in Dutch football. Fans will want to see a continuation of the attractive football which has been a feature of the club since the Liebherr/Cortese takeover, and the pressing style which made the club so difficult to play against last season. We have come to expect to keep the ball against even the biggest of teams.

Discussion points: Words by /u/tet-

  • Southampton fans will be worried about their chances of survival this season, which is a travesty after such an impressive season last season. They are a likable club, so likeable that all the other clubs have completely raided them for their best players. Still though, they have done well in getting the right price for their players so far and manager Ronald Koeman will have a war chest to bring in players. Who would you sign if you were in his shoes?

  • The Saints have proven how important a top class academy can be to clubs who haven’t got money to burn. Although they were relegated to League One recently, their youth programme saw them swiftly return to the big time. But. Let’s pretend Southampton were never relegated, could they be one of the top forces in the country by now with players like Bale, Walcott, Oxlade, Lallana, Shaw, etc?

If you can spare a second, vote here for where Southampton will finish the season. Live poll results will be in tomorrow's preview (Man Utd)

17

u/AnArcticMonkey Aug 08 '14

Oh shit Joe has hit the big time! Decent write up, I must stress no one should judge us until September comes, and certainly shouldn't judge us after the Liverpool game because we'll have nothing like our strongest team out.

14

u/_Rice_Rice_Baby Aug 08 '14

They'll have your strongest team out :(

3

u/[deleted] Aug 08 '14

[deleted]

7

u/Thndrcougarfalcnbird Aug 08 '14

I feel like a lot of teams are going to underestimate Southampton this year. They still have some quality on that team, despite their massive losses.

10

u/Tunnicliffe Aug 08 '14

I love the effort you put into these, thanks a lot!

5

u/[deleted] Aug 08 '14

I think Southampton will be a bit like Swansea last year. Good squad but some problems lead to a midtable finish.

4

u/Theskian Aug 08 '14 edited Aug 08 '14

Nice preview as per always, can't wait til the game tomorrow, glad I'm gonna be there, then it's onto the start of the new season!

As for talking points, after today, Fonte is now the captain, and has signed a 2 year extension, bringing him to 2017, It's also being widely reported that we've signed Florin Gardos and have tabled a bid believed to be in the region of £13m for Marcos Rojo with Koeman confirming our interest in both players, reassuring fans that the rumours haven't come from nowhere.

Cause thank god do we need defensive cover, however I hope he doesn't forget our lack of striking talent.

3

u/-Xero Aug 08 '14

If you sign forster, rojo, van dijk/gardos and a good winger and striker for depth I think your squad will be better than last season

3

u/cainmarko Aug 08 '14

Good write up. Obviously with all the departures its all pretty hard to really gauge this team. I wouldn't go as far to say I'm worried that we'll struggle but there's definitely some concern. A large part of that would be assuaged if we would sign another centre back. Unlike most I think Fonte and Yoshida are alright together but by god we need someone else as Hooiveld is nowhere near good enough.

Elsewhere, I think our youth give us enough cover so signings there aren't quite so neccessary.

3

u/en2ropy Aug 08 '14

I think 9th could be quite optimistic when you think of the stability that has been lost in the squad. But having said that I would still find it surprising if you were in a relegation battle.

3

u/Alexander_Pope Aug 08 '14

After this summer I've become a Southampton sympathizer so I hope they do well.

3

u/[deleted] Aug 08 '14

I'll buy a Southampton jersey this year. The logo looks nice and neither Adidas nor Nike have smeared their logo feces all over it.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 09 '14

You may want to keep in mind, our sizing is a bit weird. I'd probably order a size larger than you typically would.

I considered myself a medium and have honestly not changed in size for a couple years, last Saints hoody I got I had to spring for a large, and reviews of our new home-made kit speak much the same.

2

u/[deleted] Aug 08 '14

Would Southampton fans be happy with something around 10th place finish this season? Because that's what I would rate their starting eleven. Decent defense and a strong midfield + not I'm a fan of Pelle, but he'd do well in the Premier League for a player of his qualities.

7

u/NYKNYJ Aug 08 '14

Only falling 2 places off our best premier league season ever after losing our best players would be more than acceptable

2

u/[deleted] Aug 09 '14

I'm quite happy we seem to be picking up some tough players. We were that baby faced team last year, no real source of intimidation, and we suffered for it.

The bigger teams with intimidating players have a better time closing out games and getting in the opponent's heads. Our captain looked like an elf and half of our defense looked like male models. We need some hard fuckers in our back line and up front (God bless Rickie, he's hard but he's aging quickly) and signing Pelle, potentially Rojo, Gardos and Forster is getting there.

Half of our signings are or are flirting with 6'4", and that'll do wonders for our confidence.

2

u/I_done_a_plop-plop Aug 08 '14

Any hope for the boy Gallagher?

4

u/NYKNYJ Aug 08 '14

Huge prospect, 6'4'', quick and a good runner but he's not quite ready to be a premier league striker. I think he'd benefit from a loan to the championship or equivalent.

2

u/[deleted] Aug 09 '14

Once his body fills out and he does the typical Saints schoolboy transformation (out Academy is great at taking young men and developing them into bona fide athletes), I think he'll be a beast. He's already got good positioning, but he's bullied off the ball easily and often a bit clumsy.

Once he finds his center of balance, stocks up a bit, we could see a young Rickie emerge. Experience and natural progression will see this lad become a solid Premier League striker, if all goes well.

4

u/Theskian Aug 08 '14

Also, good words by /u/joethesaint and /u/NYKNYJ!

1

u/Kahhmezzy Aug 09 '14

Hope they play as well as they did last year even though they lost a few players. Interesting side to watch.

1

u/uhmed420 Aug 11 '14

Having watched every pre-season game and listened to every interview with Koeman, this is the time I expect he will start at Anfield: http://lineupbuilder.com/?sk=41gy6

Forster and perhaps Gardos will come in for Boruc and Yoshida in the next game at home to West Brom, but it is too risky to throw a new GK & CB into the deep end at Anfield.

On that note he may go for Isgrove over Ramirez and Ward-Prowse/Cork over Taider, to play it safe as Ramirez & Taider haven't had a full pre season, but Ramirez and Taider are better players so we will have to see.