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Southampton

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A contentious scando
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3rd, 7 points ahead of us, 10 points behind Chelsea.

Can't say that I expected them to do so well after selling Lovren, Chambers, Lallana, Shaw and Lambert.
But credit to them, they've been smart in the transfer market, especially after acquiring Tadic who looks like a top notch player.

I'm also impressed by Graziano Pelle who was average in Italy (I don't follow the Dutch league).

How about Fraser Forster, a keeper we probably should have bought after his heroics in the CL for Celtic.

Bertrand, Elia and Alderweireld on loan as well. Jay Rodriguez coming back from injury.

They used about 60% of their transfer earnings to replace the players they lost.

Will it last?
I'm not sure, but they've got a bigger and better squad than last year. Koeman was forced to make drastic changes before the season and the transition seems to have gone smoothly.

Thoughts on their performance so far?
 
Well done to them but it won't last, absolute best case IMO is a one season wonder making it to the cl then consistently just outside the top 4.

I said it a while ago but when Suarez left most of the top goal scorers who were realistic targets had already made their moves. Except for two names in the top scorers list in the Dutch league who Southampton signed. Hardly difficult especially with a manager straight from that league.
 
I wanted us to get Tadic who has been a class act for a few years now.

Pelle is doing much better than I thought he would. He scored loads at Feyenoord but fuck all anywhere else. I thought he would struggle as he is too slow.

I said in the summer there were loads of Southampton players good enough for us. Disappointing that we went there with a load of cash and came back with Lovren instead of Schneiderlin.
 
I wanted us to get Tadic who has been a class act for a few years now.

Pelle is doing much better than I thought he would. He scored loads at Feyenoord but fuck all anywhere else. I thought he would struggle as he is too slow.

I said in the summer there were loads of Southampton players good enough for us. Disappointing that we went there with a load of cash and came back with Lovren instead of Schneiderlin.

Lovren's former partner Fonte is also looking good – maybe he was the one who made last season's defense click?
 
Maybe they are just better organised as a unit with two good defensive midfielders in front.


Yeah, I tend to subscribe to this view. I can't remember who it was that did the analysis - Michael Cox maybe? - but there was an article earlier on this season which suggested that part of the reason we were making so many individual defensive mistakes was that our defence was being attacked so often with so little protection from the midfield. We weren't playing with one midfielder who was adequately protecting the back line in the first half of the season, let alone two. And that's before you consider the organisation of our defence as an issue.
 
Hopefully they'll last. I don't have any issues with them even whilst they're ahead of us. I hope we batter them in the away game like but their sustainable football model is good to see
 
Yep. As Cloggy said.

It is Wanyama and Schneiderlin who are making their team. They have some very good players those two aside though; Clyne, Davis and Tadic in particular. I still can't see them making Top 4 though, they don't have a massive squad and with Mane away for a month too. Top 6/7.
 
Pleased for Steve Davis being quietly quite decent for them, think he's proof that they're able to coax performances out of players where other teams maybe couldn't.

Whats that down to, coaching? good squad?
 
They've shown steady improvement over the last few years despite making lots of changes.

Initially people said they were mad to get rid of Adkins, then when the DOF and Pochetino left the expectation was they'd return to nowhere, which heightened when they sold ther seemingly best players.

Whether by accident or design they keep getting their decisions right. That said I do think they'll have some slip back towards midtable as the season goes on.
 
They also appear to have played most of their tougher games. Their remaining fixtures look relatively easy apart from Chelsea away, LFC at home and then City away on the last day. They could actually challenge for a top 4 spot!
 
Forster looks really cool, calm and collected. Maybe he could do the job?

Honestly; is there a chance that they have a better squad than us??!
 
They've bought brilliantly, and look a proper team.

Finish top 6 and Koeman is nailed on for Manager of the Year.

Fair play to them, always quite liked Southampton.
 
It's a bit funny that we financed them this season. With a little help from Man U and Arsenal.
 
It's even funnier that the three players we signed have barely made an impact, except Lallana to a certain extent.
 
I actually hope Southampton make the top 4. Good coaching and good scout network, it will prove you dont need to go out and spend a couple hundred million to get in the champions league. If they don't make it then I fear some more of their players will be poached.

How did RK manage to coach so well ? According to Rodgers he has not had enough coaching time in the last 2 years and thats why the defence is so bad.
 
I want Rodgers to stay as I like the overall direction in which he's taking the side, but that remark of his was cringe-making. I hope the owners have asked and continue to ask him hard questions about our defensive failings.
 
It's a bit early in the season to be making any conclusions.

Southampton could be an outlier like we were last season.

But I think time + suspensions + injuries ÷ squad strength will ultimately determine league position, it's difficult to beat the odds.
 
How did RK manage to coach so well ? According to Rodgers he has not had enough coaching time in the last 2 years and thats why the defence is so bad.

He's recent weeks alluded to that it's nothing to do with his defence coaching/coaching time, it's to do with individual errors. And they trying to work on getting the defenders to stop cocking up and losing concentration.
How that translates to the farces we see at corners and set piece defending. I doubt 4 or 5 players all lose concentration remarkably at the same time.
 
Pleased for Steve Davis being quietly quite decent for them, think he's proof that they're able to coax performances out of players where other teams maybe couldn't.

Whats that down to, coaching? good squad?

I think it's a combination of coaching and the general set up they have there, they've been getting the best out of players and producing brilliant youngsters for years
 
They also appear to have played most of their tougher games. Their remaining fixtures look relatively easy apart from Chelsea away, LFC at home and then City away on the last day. They could actually challenge for a top 4 spot!


As Pesam says, they have played Arsenal twice, Played Utd twice....Long way to go but they are looking good.
 
I wish them well, because they develop the team the right way, play good footie and also I'm sick of the same old cunts in top 4. That being said, I have to admit it makes me feel stupid that we bought their 3 best players (or so we thought) in the summer and now they are 7 points ahead of us in the table. I'm sure their fans are having a laugh at our expense and I can understand them.
 
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