The Premier League Game of Thrones
By Ryan Wrenn
Ronald Koeman – Southampton
Projected Finish: 6th
How’d he do?
Southampton’s fire sale of their best players ahead of this season prompted some to speculate that they might be fighting for survival by now. Koeman succeeding in defying those critics in his debut season at Saints. Some savvy recruitment and the ex-Barca man’s talents sent Southampton on an early season push that saw them reach as high as second place midway through the season. Though they succumbed to inertia, they will still finish higher than most ever expected them to at the beginning of the season. Koeman deserves the lion’s share of the credit for an impressive season.
Season Highlight: Unquestionably the 8-0 win over Sunderland. Though not exactly formidable opposition, the massive goal tally is indicative of Southampton’s imperious early season form.
Season Lowlight: The 0-3 home loss to Manchester City in November that began a difficult run of fixtures in which Southampton’s position in the table slowly began to fall.
Future?
In. Koeman’s earned his keep at Southampton many times over and might stand a chance at winning Manager of the Year. Time will tell whether he can sustain this level of performance next season however.