Southampton Season Review – Koeman’s Saints Defy Expectations

It was to be a season where Southampton would surely struggle, while suggestions they may fall into a relegation battle were not uncommon. But Southampton had other ideas. Indeed, the appointment of Ronald Koeman and subsequent additions to the playing staff revived the Saints, seeing them enjoy an impressive campaign, ending the season in 7^th place.

Southampton are one of the few teams in the past Premier League season who can only really be reviewed by looking back first to the previous season, not dissimilarly to Liverpool; whom they were intrinsically linked with throughout the season. Having lost four key players in the summer: Dejan Lovren, Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert, Calum Chambers and Luke Shaw, it wasn’t looking goo for Southampton.

It didn’t end there though; the manager Mauricio Pochettino had of course up and left for Spurs. The chasm in the Saints camp was ever widening. Nevertheless through the calm and focussed management of the club by Les Reed and co. Ronald Koeman was appointed as manager, as long with a host of clever acquisitions to the playing staff, setting the southern club up for a surprisingly brilliant season.

More from Premier League

The season began with loss away at Anfield, losing 2-1. Yet in the aftermath of the game the feeling was Southampton has performed admirably on the day, and already it seemed they would be set-up to remain competitive throughout the season. And competitive they were: Summer signings Graziano Pelle and Dusan Tadic took the Premier League by storm and Southampton won 11 of their first 14 games in all competitions – including a remarkable 8-0 thrashing of Sunderland at St Mary’s and a 2-1 win away to Arsenal in the Capital One Cup.

The star of the season was undoubtedly Nathaniel Clyne. It was thought Calum Chambers would replace Clyne as Southampton’s first-choice right back but Koeman had no problem letting him go to Arsenal when they offered £16m. Clyne’s performances have earned him an England call-up and he looks on course to make the position his own for the national team. In comparison the flop of the season was Florin Gardos. The defender has struggled to make an impact in the team after signing from Steaua Bucharest for £4m last August. Hard to see him being given many more chances to prove himself.

More from Playing for 90

Soon Koeman’s impressive Saints outfit would peak; beating Arsenal on New Year’s Day they found themselves in 4^th place and on course for Champions League qualification for the first time in the history of the club. Sitting two points clear of 5^th placed Spurs things were looking up. Two weeks later they travelled to Old Trafford and left with three points. Sadly for Southampton fans, things wouldn’t remain as good as this. Soon, inconsistency crept into the tiring squad.

The Champions League challenge faded, but their fans still had plenty to cheer, and their last game of the season at St Mary’s Stadium ended with a thumping 6-1 win over Aston Villa as Sadio Mane scored the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history. European football does await for the Saints though; their Europa League campaign confirmed as Arsenal beat Aston Villa in the FA Cup. It seems an impossible task breaking into the top four, but the words ‘Champions League’ have been uttered around the club since they won promotion and they made a decent go of it this campaign.

Home/Premier League