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Nathaniel Clyne: Liverpool hope history doesn’t repeat itself with the Saints star’s arrival

  By O-Posts Team | July 1, 2024 - 17:23 | , , , ,
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When Glen Johnson signed from Portsmouth for £17.5 million in 2009, Liverpool hoped they had finally found their answer to their right-back problems that had stretched back to 2004.

Despite the sizeable fee, Johnson was a 24 year old England international who had been named in the PFA Team of the Year for the preceding season, he was the obvious candidate to break a run of names that had failed to properly replace Jamie Carragher since he was converted to a centre-half by Rafael Benitez back in 2004.

Jan Kromkamp, Josemi and Phillp Degen are names best forgotten while Steve Finnan and Alvaro Arbeloa, admittedly solid during their spells on Merseyside, were not in the bracket of players Liverpool required to maintain pace with their rivals in the increasingly competitive Premier League.

Johnson, then seen as an astute capture as Liverpool bargained over money owed to them by Portsmouth, can now be added to the list of underwhelming right-backs at Anfield as he is cut loose six years later for free.

The man now charged with replacing him is Nathaniel Clyne whose similarities with Johnson at the time of his own move to Liverpool are striking. Clyne is 24, has broken into the England senior team and although he wasn’t named in last season’s PFA Team of the Year, he was unfortunate to miss out to Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic.

No other Premier League defender made more tackles than his 115 last term as he missed just 3 games of Southampton’s excellent campaign which finished with the division’s second-best defensive record and Europa League qualification.

Finishing the season having made 64 interceptions and 77 clearances, fourth best in the Southampton squad for both aspects, Clyne was the model of consistency in a back four- together with Jose Fonte, Toby Alderweireld and Ryan Bertrand- that provided the solid basis to Ronald Koeman’s superb first year on the south coast.

Speaking back in September, the Dutch manager called him “one of the best right full-backs that I’ve had in my teams during the last 15 years.”

With Koeman encouraging his natural instinct to gallop forward from full-back to add width and impetus to his free-flowing style, it was not only defensively where Clyne thrived, chipping in with 22 chances created and was Southampton’s third most frequent crosser of the ball.

“As a full-back, I like to get forward and help out in attack. If I can get assists or score goals myself, then I’ll do it. With the centre-backs covering me, I’ve got the ability to go forward,” Clyne said in an interview with Southampton’s website in September.

Clyne made 94 appearances for Southampton across 3 seasons after joining from Crystal Palace and will now hope he is afforded a similar freedom under Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool, where he becomes the fourth Saints player, after Dejan Lovren, Adam Lallana and Ricky Lambert, to join over the past year.

Hindered last season by the injury to Jon Flanagan, the declining form and fitness of Johnson as well as the struggles of Javier Manquillo on loan from Atletico Madrid, Rodgers often found himself without a right-back, having to field Lazar Markovic as a makeshift right-wing-back position in a 3-5-2 system or Emre Can in an unfamiliar right-back slot in a back four.

Such disruption and the lack of a regularly reliable full-back undermined defensive organisation and cohesion, factors that constantly undermined any attempt to summon the form needed to break back into the top 4 and came to a brutal head in the 6-1 humiliation at Stoke on the final day of the season.

Rodgers has reacted swiftly this summer, adding James Milner, Danny Ings, Adam Bogdan, Joe Gomez and the £29 million Brazilian Roberto Firmino before the beginning of July, possibly in an attempt to avoid a repeat of last summer’s late and erroneous capture of Mario Balotelli. Now they have jumped in ahead of Manchester United to bring in Clyne to continue the theme of quick, effective business designed to forge a squad capable of returning to the Champions League next season.

Aston Villa’s Christian Benteke remains a target despite a mammoth £32 million release clause and the Belgian’s powerful aerial threat partnered with Clyne’s crossing will provide Liverpool with a dangerous weapon for their armoury and one they sorely missed last term.

Clyne will bring with him a defensive discipline and energy that was also lacking last season, freeing up Can and Markovic to move into their more familiar midfield roles while ensuring the blow dealt by Jon Flanagan’s knee surgery, that will see the 22 year old out until the winter at least, will not be felt too much.

With Clyne entering his final 12 months of his contract at St Mary’s, Liverpool have managed to direct Southampton to a compromise between their original £10 million bid and the selling club’s £15m valuation.

For a high-performing young Englishman in the age of elevated premiums for home-grown talent, the £12.5 million it has taken to land Clyne will be rightfully billed as excellent business for Liverpool and Rodgers.

However, they will be hoping his career trajectory now continues upwards rather than the downwards curve that befell the now deposed Johnson and those that failed before him.

 

Written by Adam Gray

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Southampton: Koeman working wonders against the odds at St. Mary’s

  By O-Posts Team | October 27, 2024 - 01:42 | , , , ,
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Southampton fans weren’t quite as spoiled this weekend as they were the week previous as Stoke City turned up at St Mary’s in a typically diligent and disciplined mood. The workmanlike approach of Mark Hughes’s team meant there would be no repeat of the 8-0 drubbing that did for Sunderland the week before and for all those turning up in hope of a repeat of last Saturday’s goal-glut, there would be an element of disappointment.

There was just the one goal this time, Sadio Mane’s first in the English game after his strike against Sunderland last week was chalked off by the dubious goals panel, but for Southampton and manager Ronald Koeman it was the same result. Another win, their sixth in the opening nine games, and another clean sheet, their fifth of the season, leaving them with the meanest defence in the Premier League with just 5 goals against their name.

It has been an astonishing start to the season from a team that in the summer found itself tormented by the departure of last season’s manager Mauricio Pochettino as well as five players who were integral to the Argentine’s success on the South Coast. Following the exit of Chairman Nicola Cortese in January after a dispute with the club’s elusive owner Katerina Leibherr, who generated rumours she was gearing up to sell the club, Ronald Koeman was inheriting a club shrouded with dark uncertainty.

In retrospect, Koeman’s summer work has been exceptional, signing a group of players that has made the departures of Dejan Lovren, Luke Shaw, Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and Callum Chambers a mere irrelevance. Koeman, boasting 14 years managerial experience across a handful of Dutch clubs as well as Valencia and Benfica, used an impressive scouting network to deliver Saturday’s £11 million match-winner Mane from Red Bull Salzburg, the scorer of 45 goals in 87 games with the Austrian champions, who already looks well-suited to the Premier League.

Koeman’s most recent job was with Feyenoord and from there he brought with him Graziano Pelle for £8.8 million, the Italian who, with 6 goals already to his name, has begun to kill off fears that he may be another prolific Eredivisie striker who can never quite produce the same form in England, a la Mateja Kezman or Alfonso Alves. Former FC Twente midfielder Dusan Tadic was also picked up from the Dutch league and for £12 million represents a real bargain, the Serbian playmaker was brilliant in the win over Sunderland and has so far made 7 assists, creating an average of 3 chances per game.

Despite the over-inflated £13 million price-tag that Shane Long carried, his boundless energy and tireless running has been a real asset in attack while Fraser Forster has been a solid performer in goal after arriving from Celtic for £11 million. The loan signings of defensive duo Ryan Bertrand and Toby Alderweireld have been extremely shrewd, the latter striking up a solid centre-half partnership with Jose Fonte, who has himself stepped up since inheriting the captaincy from Adam Lallana and seeing his former partner Lovren leave for Liverpool.

The fate of another loan signing, Inter Milan’s Saphir Taider, meanwhile gave an insight into the high demands Koeman places on his squad. Ruthlessly sent back to Italy just a month into his season-long loan, the club cited a failure to “live up to the high levels of commitment expected of Southampton players”.

That the manager made his players watch their poor start to the demolition of Sunderland as he targets perfection was indicative of the importance he places on high-standards and it has even proven infectious. After the 2-1 win away at Arsenal in the League Cup, Koeman was asked if his team could have an extra training session, suggestive of the collective feel-good factor that is palpable in the team that currently sits second in the league.

The Dutchman has also overseen a slight change in style since taking over from Pochettino, easing off from the intense pressing that became the main focus of the Argentine’s team, to a more cautious approach, preferring to soak up more pressure before hitting with effective counter-attacking. They are now seeing less of the ball, averaging 53% possession compared to the 56.5% last season, while nobody makes more tackles than their 24.4 per game and only Arsenal concede less shots per game than Southampton’s 8.7 per game.

The system is now based around a solid midfield base that is provided by Steven Davis, Jack Cork, Victor Wanyama or Morgan Schneiderlin, from whom Koeman has produced another bout of excellent form despite it seeming almost certain he would join the summer’s exodus after Tottenham came calling. Their understanding allows for Bertrand and Nathaniel Clyne, rewarded for his impressive displays with a call-up to the England squad, to join attacks, permitting Long and Tadic to move in-field in support of Pelle, positioned in the middle as a physical target-man.

“It is not easy to play against Southampton” said Koeman, an acknowledgement that despite not being at their best against Stoke on Saturday, the visitors still couldn’t break them down. A solid midfield, a watertight defence and a harmonious attack, a recipe forged against the odds by a manager entering a new country and a team in the process of having its squad dismantled. It is a refreshing Premier League tale, one that will be begrudged to Southampton and their Dutch coach by very few.

 

 

Written by Adam Gray

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Southampton: Plenty of cheer taken from Anfield for Koeman as the Saints’ new era gets underway

  By O-Posts Team | August 19, 2024 - 23:52 | , , , ,
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Ronald Koeman’s introduction to Premier League life would not have received the same extent of media examination as that of his former mentor Louis Van Gaal just 24 hours before him, but both the league’s two new Dutch coaches move on with similar problems but with very different campaigns lying in wait.

After Van Gaal, whom Koeman assisted at Barcelona, saw his Manchester United team lose 2-1 at home to Swansea, Koeman took Southampton to Liverpool where they lost by a similar score-line, but saw enough from a promising display to indicate the season ahead won’t be as tumultuous as first predicted. With Manchester United deeply ingrained in transition, Southampton are heading into a similar phase, albeit on an arguably much larger scale.

There is no demand for Champions League qualification or a significant improvement on the relative disaster of last year’s 7th place finish under David Moyes, but simply a request to remain in the Premier League and the access it grants to the new batch of eye-watering revenue streams. It’s a sizeable downscale in expectation for a side that finished 8th last season but one that follows a seismic summer of upheaval.

Citing an “irreconcilable rift” with club owner Katarina Liebherr, the resignation of Nicola Cortese in January sowed the seeds for a flurry of sales across a summer that now leaves the Saints almost unrecognisable from the side that bloomed under Mauricio Pochettino.

The innovative Argentinean coach is now at Tottenham and has since attempted to return to the south coast for Jay Rodriguez, last season’s top scorer, and Morgan Schneiderlin but has been met with stiff resistance, the club adamant that another name will not be added to an already bloated list of departures.

Following Pochettino out of the door have been the young defensive pair of Luke Shaw, to Manchester United for £27 million, and Calum Chambers who heads to Arsenal for £10 million.

Dejan Lovren, so solid alongside Jose Fonte for Southampton last year, was settling into his new home in the heart of Liverpool’s defence on Sunday as last season’s player of the year Adam Lallana watched on injured from the stands as his new side emerged victorious via Daniel Sturridge’s late flick. Rickie Lambert would emerge for a late cameo against the club he joined in League One in 2009.

Southampton recouped £48 million for the trio, but on Sunday afternoon the change in era was stark. Lovren was hailed by his new manager Brendan Rodgers for his fine display of distribution as well as for managing to keep Graziano Pelle, Lambert’s replacement, quiet.

Romanian Florin Gardos has been signed from Steaua Bucharest to take Lovren’s place but his absence at Anfield meant a spot for Maya Yoshida who appeared hesitant against the running of Raheem Sterling. Behind them the performance of Fraser Forster, signed from Celtic for £10 million, would have greatly encouraged Koeman as he looks for a more consistent alternative to Artur Boruc and Paulo Gazzaniga.

There was enough from the movement and flair of Dusan Tadic to suggest the Serbian will prosper in the Premier League after moving for £10.9 million from Twente, the 25 year old laying on a sublime back-heel for the excellent Nathaniel Clyne to rifle home an equaliser.

James Ward-Prowse and Steven Davis were both full of intelligent running and a fluid move created an opening for the Northern Irish midfielder but his tame shot was saved by Simon Mignolet. Ward-Prowse in particular impressed and the 19 year old is aware a big year looms as he steps up to replace Lallana.

“The new management team has come in and done very well and we have all warmed to them,” said the English midfielder. “He is different in terms of how he wants to play but all the lads are really thriving under him and looking forward to playing under him. It’s not as intense as the last regime.”

The response to Koeman was clear at Anfield as Southampton responded well to the new 4-4-1-1 system which encouraged the full-backs forward. Ryan Bertrand was solid on the left as he begins his loan spell from Chelsea while Nathaniel Clyne set about building on an impressive campaign last term with a stunning goal. The right-back’s over-eager positioning for Sterling’s opener however suggested there is work still to do.

The improvements and fine-tuning will be in Koeman’s mind over the coming weeks but this was a hugely promising base for the new coach to build on. Shane Long, a £12 million signing from Hull City who came on late on to miss a golden chance to equalise in the dying minutes, and Saphir Taider who comes to the club on loan from Inter Milan, will feature more prominently in the coming weeks. Pelle, who scored prolifically under Koeman at Feyenoord, will also be afforded considerable time to adapt to his new surroundings.

Koeman should also receive plaudits for his handling of Schneiderlin who after looking short of match-fitness in the first-half emerged in the second to take control of midfield and nearly snatched a point with a late drive that rattled the cross-bar. As Spurs maintain their interest, the attentions of the combative midfielder still, for now, seem to remain on the south coast.

“That was one of the messages we gave the boys. We played an impressive second half and that is how we like to play. If we play like that, I don’t think we will struggle”, said Koeman after the defeat, still full of optimism after inheriting a club in the midst of bedlam this summer and who he himself lampooned on Twitter shortly after taking charge. “Have a bet about that (relegation) with me and you will lose” Koeman said before the trip to Merseyside. On the basis of Liverpool’s narrow victory, few will be making that risk now.

 

Written by Adam Gray

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Premier League 2013/14: So far, so very, very entertaining

  By O-Posts Team | January 16, 2024 - 01:04 | , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Liverpool v West Bromwich Albion - Barclays Premier League

The Premier League has always boasted its competitiveness compared to Europe’s other top leagues, although in reality it was only two, sometimes three teams that were really in the title race. So far this season, that has changed quite dramatically.

Here we are in January and the top 6 places are changing on a weekly basis and it’s nigh on impossible at this point to predict in which order the top 7 will be, come the end of the season.

For the most part, Arsenal have set the pace thus far. The sensational capture and influence of Mesut Ozil, coupled with the excellent form of Aaron Ramsey have helped re-establish what looked very unlikely on opening day, Arsenal as genuine title contenders.

On paper, their squad still looks thin, but on the pitch they’ve contended with a long list of injuries, negotiated the Champions League ‘group of death’ and remained consistent. If Arsene Wenger can find a suitable forward and defender in the January transfer window, then the Gunners could end their long trophy drought with a Premier League crown.

Pre-season title favourites Manchester City and Chelsea have both stuttered at times, but are now ominously gathering pace. City’s away form earlier in the campaign was threatening to derail their title challenge, but with that having improved and being so imperious and scoring goals for fun at the Etihad, they are now many people’s pick to be champions.

Fernandinho has slotted in beautifully next to Yaya Toure and Negredo looks an excellent acquisition, alongside the sublime Sergio Aguero seamlessly. Indeed, they have the best squad and arguably the best team that is gelling so well under the guidance of Manuel Pellegrini that, it could well be their title to lose.

Before the start of the season, I felt Chelsea were slight favourites to be champions with the quality and experience in the squad and the Premier League know-how of Jose Mourinho; however, they looked surprisingly fragile at the back and have often lacked fluidity in attack, but are still within touching distance of top spot.

Oscar often made a difference for the Blues early season and Eden Hazard has picked up his form of late, something that has been vital given that their strikers have barely found the back of the net and their best player, Juan Mata, is bizarrely spending most of his season watching from the bench. Mourinho may lack class with some of his post-match interviews, as he deflects attention away from his team, but he has a knack of winning trophies and Chelsea are certainly in the hunt for the title.

Liverpool are in with real chance of getting back into the Champions League this season, aided by the goals of the magnificent Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan was the best player in the league last season, but the stupidity of biting Ivanovic and his reputation probably prevented him being recognised as such. This year, not only has hebeen almost unplayable at times, but he’s also cleaned up his act and been a huge part in Liverpool’s often scintillating attacking play.

Daniel Sturridge has also weighed in with goals, Jordan Henderson has been outstanding and Raheem Sterling is looking a much more mature player. With the experience and quality of Steven Gerrard and the creativity of Coutinho, Liverpool have continued their progression throughout the calendar year of 2013 to put themselves into contention.

Merseyside rivals Everton have been a revelation under arguably the manager of the year so far, Roberto Martinez. The Toffees had a squad primarily set up to be functional, hardworking and difficult to beat. Martinez has taken the handbrake off, allowing players to express themselves more and introduced a more patient build up to their play. Seamus Coleman being played as an attacking right-back has been a masterstroke, as has having the faith and confidence to play Ross Barkley in the key attacking midfield role.

Loan signings Gareth Barry and Romelu Lukaku have been pivotal in a very impressive season, but the lack of depth to the squad does raise the question whether or not Everton will be able to maintain their top 4 challenge to the business end of the season.

After a sticky start, Newcastle have got going pretty well, influenced by the talented Yohan Cabaye and the goalscoring prowess of Loic Remy. The lack of Europa League football has no doubt helped them and although a European place looks beyond them this season, the Magpies are set for a satisfactory campaign.

Southampton’s start was fantastic, a win and clean sheet away at Anfield was just one of many eye catching performances that lead to Adan Lallana and Jay Rodriguez rightfully gaining international recognition with England. Luke Shaw is continuing to enhance his growing reputation and Dejan Lovren has been stellar at the centre of solid defence that combined with a good passing style, has seen Manager Mauricio Pochettino’s list of admirers grow. The behind the scenes unrest however, does threaten their stability.

After selling Gareth Bale to Real Madrid for £85m, Tottenham spent over £100m on a promising centre-back, 2 central midfielders, 3 attacking midfielders and a striker, but bizarrely ignored their glaring weakness at left-back. Last season I felt that Spurs tactics were essentially to give the ball to Bale and hope he did something, meaning Andre Villas Boas would have to be more imaginative and expressive with his impressive looking squad this term.

Instead, they lacked a fluidity often suffered by teams trying to integrate too many new players at once and with the below par performances came a lack of confidence leading to the 6-0 hammering away to Man City and the 5-0 thrashing at home to Liverpool which ultimately cost Villas Boas his job. His replacement, Tim Sherwood, may not have the tactical prowess of Europe’s top managers, but he has employed a much more attacking style that has Tottenham back in top 4 contention.

Whoever took over as Man Utd manager after Alex Ferguson was always picking up a poisoned chalice, so to speak. They would inevitably either fail to live up to expectation or have success attributed to taking over an already successful team. I, amongst many others, was surprised at David Moyes selection as Ferguson’s successor.

Moyes built a good reputation at Everton, but his teams were very functional and his record was built mostly on finding bargains and over-achieving. Taking over at a club with money to spend and a higher expectation of success is a different challenge; one which only time will tell if Moyes is up to.

Last season, the under-performance of Man City and the goals of Robin Van Persie, particularly up until the festive period, probably masked the deficiencies in the Man Utd squad. Deficiencies that without Ferguson at the helm and big changes to the coaching staff, have become all too prevalent this season.

One positive this season though has been the marked improvement in goalkeeper David De Gea and with players like Van Persie and Rooney in the team, Utd have to be fancied for a top 4 spot. Their real difficulty will come in replacing an ageing defence, especially if there is no Champions League football for a club carrying heavy debts and huge expectations.

Before the start of the season, I fancied Chelsea to just win the title ahead of City. Although City look the team to beat, I have a feeling Chelsea may still edge them out in May.

Whilst the top 2 will probably be what many expected back in the summer, the tightness of the top 7 has been a pleasant surprise in what has been an entertaining season so far.

 

Written by Andy Wales

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Premier League: The 5 Must-Watch Teams So Far This Season

  By O-Posts Team | November 20, 2023 - 23:53 | , , , , , , ,
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It has been an excitingly wide-open season so far for the English Premier League. Some predicted as much due to so many changes to squads and the addition (or loss) of top players. Also noted was how many clubs have had new coaches over the past couple of seasons.

With all these changes, some teams have surprised with their tenacity. Others are seemingly down, but it’s far too early in the season to count them out. There’s no telling how things will progress from here, but there are several teams that everyone should be keeping an eye on.

Southampton

Out of all the big names and familiar faces that usually occupy a top spot on the EPL table, Southampton stands out. A virtual stranger to many, Southampton was actually a founding member of the Premier League when it first began in 1992.

Since then, there has been much turbulence, leading to dropping out of the EPL and down to lower leagues. Their return to the Premier League in the 2012-2013 season seemed like it would end in a disappointing return to the Championship. But after making a decisive change to their coaching staff, Southampton FC has visibly improved.

The season so far sees them sitting comfortably in third position after upsetting Liverpool in a tense away match and forcing a draw with Manchester United. The Saints seem to be marching on to a season more successful than anything in their club’s history. Some might call it a fluke or a “false dawn”.

One thing’s for certain, Southampton is the dark horse to end all dark horses, and it would be wise for others to take this team seriously.

Manchester United

Manchester United is proving a team to watch for all the wrong reasons. Namely, trying to figure out how a consistently lethal squad could have gotten off to such a shaky start. Sir Alex Ferguson departed after a long and historic period at the club’s helm, and skeptics do not believe that David Moyes was the right choice for the job in Ferguson’s absence.

In addition, Manchester United has a talented, but aging squad. A number of fans and pundits were critical of the new boss’s failure to do much with the summer transfer window, aside from bringing MarouaneFellainiwith him from Everton.

Many did not peg Manchester United as an underdog team going into the season. But after a surprising start left them in the second half of the table for a good portion of the games so far, it’s been up to the Red Devils to climb back into the mix.

As it stands, they are just outside the top four. Any other season and their return to the top would be a sure thing. However, this year there are too many variables; too many other teams that made smart decisions and have just as much to prove.

In the end, the Red Devils will be a team to watch because everyone will be wondering “will they or won’t they?” Will Manchester United overcome a disappointing start and have an amazing season? Will they become a ship made of strong, marine fabric? Or crumble like the sail of a beat up old pirate ship? Nothing is certain. And perhaps that makes them more exciting to watch and more dangerous than ever.

 

Arsenal

Fans booed Arsene Wenger after an opening day loss to Aston Villa. The club also failed to do any business in the summer transfer window until almost the last minute. But it seems that Wenger may be the one to have the last laugh after he managed a startlingly brilliant move: securing a world-class midfielder in Mesut Özil.

Real Madrid let the talent go for reasons that remain a mystery, and he has flourished at his new club. Despite being beset with injuries and illnesses, Arsenal continues to be a team that does far better than anyone expects, even big name fans such as Piers Morgan.

The question this year doesn’t seem to be whether or not Arsenal can get a top spot in the league and have Championship League football next season. There are those who are already whispering about the possibility of a league title. This feels like a year where anything can happen and it just might be the Gunners’ year.

Whether or not Arsenal comes out on top at the end, it can give insight into how the picture will look in May, and tell us if the side can indeed rise to this unique occasion.

Chelsea

The two words for anyone looking for a reason to keep a close eye on the Blues this season is actually a name: José Mourinho.

The “Special One” left his former club Real Madrid among a great deal of controversy. In fact, controversy seems to follow Mourinho everywhere. It was definitely a major issue the first time Mourinho left Chelsea back in 2008.

Having won league titles several times in different countries, and couched Champions’s League winning sides, no one doubts his talent. But in his absence, Chelsea has become a club with little patience. The year they stunned the world by beating Barcelona for the Champion’s league title, and the side saw the departure of both Roberto Di Matteo and his replacement, Rafa Benitez. Perhaps Chelsea FC could not be satisfied with anyone but Mourinho.

Chelsea did manage to spirit highly praised player Willian Borges Da Silva away from the Spurs, and have put serious time and energy into creating a competitive squad, but the team is only part of the picture.

Everyone is waiting to see what Mourinho will do or say and how the Football Association is likely to respond. A volatile figure could inspire Chelsea to a fiery finish, or the team may crash and burn. Whatever the end result, one thing is certain: There will be fireworks.

Liverpool

The spark that lit Liverpool FC’s unexpected successful start is said to have begun with an epic double-save by goalkeeper Simon Mignolet during the very first game of the Premier League season. The act denied the visiting Stoke City an opportunity for a draw. It also signaled a shift in the ability of the team, away from regularly dropping senseless points. The previous league season saw the team spend much time in the relegation zone.

Though the Reds would eventually finish in seventh place, it wasn’t until late in the second half of the season that there was any sign of life. Much of this was due to the financially shrewd acquisition of Daniel Sturridge from Chelsea and Philippe Coutinho from Inter Milan.

This season the squad has been strengthened defensively and currently boasts two of the league’s top scorers in Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge. The former had actually missed the first five games of the season due to misconduct. The troubled genius that is Suarez is already promising to be a nightmare to rival teams. With an array of options up front, and a figurative brick wall at the back, he has been at the forefront of nipping at Arsenal’s heels.

This is shaping up to be a season of promise for the Liverpool side. It’s been a few years since the side fell from major international contention. This squad could quite possibly amend disappointment and go far this season. The potential is there, it’s just a matter of belief and the willingness to seize opportunity.

The same goes for all the teams listed. It could be that fortune favors or rejects the sides mentioned here within the coming weeks.

Whatever happens, don’t blink. You may miss something amazing.

Michael is a full-time blogger who has passions in all corners of the online world. In his down time he enjoys being outdoors, traveling, and blogging on everything from technology, to business, to marketing, and beyond. Follow him on Twitter or Google+.

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Southampton: Pochettino driving the Saints’ project down the home-grown route

  By O-Posts Team | October 25, 2024 - 22:04 | , , ,
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When Markus Liebherr took over Southampton in the summer of 2009, with the club due to start life in League One ten points adrift after slipping into administration, he set the target of reaching the Premier League in five years. The overzealous ambition was widely ridiculed and mocked, but now it seems to have been a rather cautious target.

With Liebherr having since sadly passed away and control of the club shifted into the arms of Nicola Cortese, the Saints are lying sixth in the Premier League and on the verge, should they beat Fulham on Saturday, of recording their best ever start to a season.

Back in January, Cortese made the brave decision to dispose with Nigel Adkins, the manager who had guided them to the top tier with back-to-back promotions, and replace him with Mauricio Pochettino, an Argentine with no previous domestic coaching experience and who relied upon the help of a translator in order to communicate.

It was an appointment derided as the latest example of the modern restlessness and brutal disloyalty from the continental chairmen who prefer continental managers, though few can argue now with Cortese’s actions, Pochettino’s stewardship has them four points off top spot having lost just one of their opening eight fixtures.

That defeat came at Norwich, conceding one of only three goals they have shipped so far. Home wins over Crystal Palace and Swansea have sandwiched a win against Liverpool at Anfield and a battling draw at Old Trafford where they would have made valid argument that they were worth more than their late point. Southampton had more attempts in total than Manchester United and equalled the champions in possession, indicative of the confidence and fearlessness flowing throughout Pochettino’s side.

It has of course, rather fittingly given Pochettino made his trade as a centre-half during a 17 year long playing career, been built on rock-solid foundations. The three goals they have conceded is the lowest tally in any of Europe’s top leagues barring Roma in Serie A and it is a game-plan based on sturdy organisation and aggressive pressing that has allowed them to succeed.

A higher-line has been a significant feature of the transition from life under Adkins to Pochettino, something Adam Lallana, captain at St. Mary’s, says has been a result of spending time with the new coach over the summer, learning and understanding his tactical approach.

Pochettino has also seen the benefit of a settled centre-half pairing with Dejan Lovren and Jose Fonte having been able to partner each other for all of the eight matches so far. It is Lovren who has been particularly impressive having adapted to the Premier League with notable ease after making an £8.8 million move in the summer.

Comfortable on the ball and intelligent in possession as well as strong in the air and in the tackle, the Croatian international has also helped Fonte rediscover his first-team spot when it seemed likely the Portuguese would be shown the door in the summer.

In front of them, Victor Wanyama, the hulking midfielder signed from Celtic for £12 million, has patrolled the deep areas strongly alongside the rabidly tenacious Morgan Schneiderlin, rated as one of the best tacklers in Europe last year.

While goals have not flowed freely, only 8 have been managed in the 8 games to date as the Rickie Lambert and Dani Osvaldo partnership still struggles to click, Southampton’s solid spine has been the most palpable feature of their form and with Jack Cork, Steven Davis, Guly Do Prado and James Ward-Prowse all waiting to provide cover, it is a vast, talented squad at Pochettino’s disposal.

The Argentine was also extremely clever in the transfer window, spending money, £35 million of it in fact, on just 3 players, preferring instead to rely on the togetherness and familiarity in the squad rather than make any wholesale changes to the group of players he had inherited from Adkins.

The biggest provider to Southampton’s squad has been its Staplewood academy, the training facility in the Hampshire countryside that boasts Theo Walcott, Wayne Bridge, Gareth Bale and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain among its former alumni.

Of its current crop, 18 year olds Luke Shaw, Calum Chambers and Ward-Prowse are all established members of the first team with the latter pointed out by Pochettino as a role-model.

“James Ward-Prowse is an example of the player we are promoting, the player we want to have in this club,” he said at a press conference ahead of the game with Fulham. “In every training session he gives 100 per cent. He always has an immediate impact in what he does and he is still a player who is growing. He is a figurehead of the sort of player we are looking for at Southampton.”

The England under-21 midfielder started the season, alongside Shaw and Chambers, in the 0-1 win at West Brom, a game in which Pochettino played 8 English players, a seemingly one-club resistance to the Guardian’s findings that the opening weekend of the season was mostly inhabited by foreign nationals.

With Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana having earned call-ups to Roy Hodgson’s full-squad, as well as under-21 caps being handed to Jack Cork and Nathaniel Clyne, the fruits of the advanced training facilities down on the south coast are hugely encouraging, both for Pochettino’s Saints and for England.

A trip to the academy now will reveal construction work taking place, £15 million worth of extension work due to be completed in the Spring. It is a whole different world from the mess that Liebherr rescued back in 2009 and uttered his brash ambitions. The tag-line for the new-look academy is entitled “The Southampton Way”, signifying a club with a philosophy for progress and success.

At the moment, with Pochettino and his stylish, innovative methods at the helm, they are certainly on their way to realising far more than anything Liebherr ever envisaged.

 

Written by Adam Gray

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Southampton: The Season Preview

  By O-Posts Team | July 21, 2024 - 00:42 | , , , ,
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1) Review of Last Season

It can be said that the 2012-2013 Premier League season was shaped by two key moments for Southampton.

The first was on a cold mid-November afternoon in West London. A match dubbed ‘El Sackico’ between Saints and fellow strugglers QPR, resulted in only the second win of the season for Nigel Adkins’ side, and a first on the road. Southampton produced a superb performance to relieve the pressure on their manager, and heap further misery on the under-fire Mark Hughes and QPR.

From that game, Saints pushed on, going two games unbeaten against Newcastle and Norwich. They signed off for 2012, with two fantastic away draws at Stoke and Fulham – teams with notoriously good home records.

The second key moment involved perhaps the most unjust sacking of a manager in recent times. On 18th January - after leading his side to back-to-back promotions from League 1 - Nigel Adkins was sacked as the club’s manager following a remarkable comeback at the home of the European Champions, Chelsea, to earn a point.

He left Saints 15th in the league; 3 points clear of the relegation zone, with a far superior goal difference. After finally seeming to get to grips with the top division in England, Southampton’s Premier League future was plunged back into uncertainty.

Fan favourite Adkins’ replacement was announced the same day. Little-known Argentinean, Mauricio Pochettino took the reigns having been sacked as manager of Espanyol in late November, with the Catalan-based team bottom of La Liga with 9 points from 13 games.

And so the Mauricio Pochettino era began with a solid 0-0 draw with Everton in front of a relatively subdued St. Mary’s, on a bitter Monday night down on the south-coast. With only Vegard Forren – who didn’t make a single appearance – added to the squad in January, Pochettino’s task was simple. Continue what many thought Adkins was successfully doing - picking up the points necessary to stay up.

But after 7 games and only one win – albeit a 3-1 home victory over the champions Manchester City – Pochettino’s side sat precariously close to the relegation zone. This all changed as an inspired last minute penalty save from Artur Boruc against Norwich preserved a precious away point and sparked Pochettino’s players into life.

11 points from the next 5 games followed, including home wins against Chelsea and Liverpool. By mid-April, Southampton’s Premier League survival had all but been confirmed. Despite the season fizzling out with flat performances, 14th place was extremely respectable for a side enjoying their first campaign season back in the big time after a seven year break.

Talismanic striker Rickie Lambert finished as the joint top English goal scorer with Frank Lampard as he contributed 15 goals to Saints’ cause, along with 5 assists. Without a doubt, however, Morgan Schneiderlin was the club’s top performer, leading the league in tackles and interceptions, as well as having an exceptional passing success rate.

Schneiderlin.... best of the pack.

Schneiderlin…. best of the pack.

With his five goals not to be forgotten as well, it was one to remember for the 23 year old Frenchman.

 

2) Changes for the Upcoming Season

A host of players who’d served Southampton admirably during their rise through the divisions were released at the beginning of June, including defenders Frazer Richardson and Danny Butterfield. Midfielder Richard Chaplow – who spent the end of last season on loan at Millwall - also departed after his contract was mutually terminated.

Another defender, Norwegian Vegard Forren, was bizarrely sold back to Norwegian club Molde, whom he had left to join Saints in January. Forren didn’t make a single first-team appearance for the club.

It has become a recurring theme with Saints in recent transfer windows to be linked seemingly to every player under the sun. And when news of an official bid finally does emerge, one can expect it to take up to a month before any deal is confirmed. This is the case with Kenyan Victor Wanyama, signed from Celtic for a reported fee of £12.5 million. From news first breaking of a Saints bid for the 22 year old midfielder, it took over a month for the parties to thrash out a deal.

Wanyama.... massive coup that has delighted the Saints' faithful.

Wanyama…. massive coup that has delighted the Saints’ faithful.

In addition to Wanyama, Southampton have also signed 24 year old Croatian international centre-back, Dejan Lovren from Lyon, for a fee reckoned to be in the region of £8.5 million.

Both of these signings have delighted Saints’ fans, and will be seen as massive statements of intent by other teams clubs rivaling the south coast club for a top-half finish.

 

3) The Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths –

With the record addition of Kenyan defensive midfield player, Victor Wanyama, Southampton’s midfield looks to be the strongest for a while on the South Coast. Morgan Schneiderlin, 23, and Wanyama, 22, look set to play as the two deep-lying midfielders, with Jack Cork, 24, providing a more than capable backup.

Any three from Gaston Ramirez, Adam Lallana, Jason Puncheon and Jay Rodriguez will sit ahead of them, and at an average age of just 24, the future is bright for Southampton’s midfield and fans are licking their lips at the prospect of watching the sextet in action.

 

 

Weaknesses –

Ask any Southampton fan what their Achilles’ heel was last term, and they will reply without pausing to think: the defense. Early on in the season, Saints struggled, as comical defensive errors became almost synonymous with the then manager, Nigel Adkins’ side. By the time they had kept their first clean sheet, on 25th November, with a 2-0 home victory over the underachieving Newcastle, Saints had already shipped 30 goals in 12 games – a league high.

Despite improvement later on in the campaign, the defense remains a problem. The £8.5 million addition of Dejan Lovren plugs a hole, but the lack of depth still concerns many. The first choice back four of Nathaniel Clyne, Maya Yoshida, Dejan Lovren and Luke Shaw looks strong on paper, but if injuries were to strike, frailties would again be exposed.

As it stands for instance, Nathaniel Clyne is the only recognised right-back in the squad.

 

4) Key Players

More will be expected of Uruguayan attacking midfield player, Gaston Ramirez, who was signed on deadline day in August for £12 million. The 22 year old struggled to make his presence felt at times last year as he struggled with form and fitness throughout the campaign. But the former Bologna player will have a point to prove this term after his season ended disappointingly after being sent off for lashing out at Irishman Shane Long in the 3-0 home defeat to West Brom.

Ramirez.... has a point to prove this upcoming season.

Ramirez…. has a point to prove this upcoming season.

Ramirez has already stated this summer that he wants to repay the trust shown in him by the club, and after some average performances in June’s Confederations Cup for Uruguay, the attack-minded midfielder will be looking to show that he isn’t all talk and no action.

Expect him to shine, as he continues his acclimatisation to life in England and the relentless pace of the Premier League. It is easy to forget that Ramirez is only 22.

 

5) Prediction for the Upcoming Season

One can never tell with Southampton. The years between Gordon Strachan’s departure in early 2004, and the launch of the Liebherr-Cortese era, in 2009, were not happy ones for Saints’ fans. Consistently average League performances led to relegation to the third tier of English football.

Couple that with the hardship of administration while in League 1, and one can forgive and understand why the ever-pessimistic Southampton fans remain as surprised as anyone at the club’s meteoric rise from near going out of business in League 1, to having aspirations of a top half finish in the Premier League merely 4 years later.

The ambition of Nicola Cortese, Southampton’s Executive Chairman, is admirable. The transfer window still has over a month to go, yet Croatian defender Dejan Lovren, and Kenyan midfielder Victor Wanyama have already been added to the ever-growing list of international stars that manager Mauricio Pochettino has at his disposal. At an estimated combined worth of £21 million, it is clear that Pochettino and Cortese mean business as they look to push Southampton up the Premier League and into Europe.

Combine the eye-catching spending with the ambition of Cortese and one has the recipe for a successful season on paper. With one or two more signings looking probable – notably Argentinean international midfielder, Ever Banega from Valencia – the surly Italian won’t want anything less than a top-half finish. Cortese would consider a placing in the bottom-half a failure.

After a disastrous start in the Premier League last term, a solid start this year could set the Saints up for a memorable campaign. Providing the defense remains injury free, the goals will flow for a naturally attacking side. Expect attractive, free-flowing football when going forward.

While in defense, Pochettino encourages his side to employ the style of pressing made famous by Marcelo Bielsa, notably at Athletic Bilbao – the basic aim of which being to win the ball as high up the pitch and as soon after losing it as possible.

Although it can be a hazardous technique, when perfected it can be devastating, as demonstrated with Athletic Bilbao’s impressive run to the Europa League Final. The home wins against Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea towards the end of last season all undoubtedly came about because of the tireless work done by the midfield and attack in pressing their opponents, wreaking havoc in the opposition ranks.

I personally think Southampton will finish upper mid-table – maybe 9th - and firmly believe this would represent a massively successful season. Home form is key and even though Saints are historically weak on the road, Pochettino’s side must pick up more points away from home.

 

6) Rate the Current Squad and Manager

SQUAD: 7/10 – Strengthening required in defense, and a quality striker is needed to achieve Cortese’s aspirations.

MANAGER: 8/10 – Remains to be seen how he performs over a whole season, but early indications show that Pochettino could be the man to lead the Saints up the table.

 

Written by Ben Higlett

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Jack Cork: A Calm Presence In The Heart of The Saints’ Midfield

  By O-Posts Team | March 25, 2024 - 16:50 | , , , , , ,
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Southampton’s first season back in the Premier League started slowly for Jack Cork after an injury ruled him out until November, but his return to fitness has seen him develop, together with Morgan Schneiderlin, a strong centre-midfield partnership charged with the task of keeping the Saints in the top tier.

With Schneiderlin providing the energy and drive in the defensive side of the duo, we have a look at what the 23 year old Cork brings to the table.

 

Profile

Cork is a Chelsea academy graduate having joined their youth set up aged 9 and going on to captain both the youth and reserve teams. Despite travelling, and playing, on Chelsea’s pre-season tour of America in 2007, the midfielder failed to make any first team appearances for the Blues and spent the majority of his five years in west London out on loan.

Temporary spells with Bournemouth, Scunthorpe, Southampton, Watford and Coventry in the lower leagues, it was finally Burnley and a half-season loan spell in 2010 that exposed him to Premier League football. The Clarets failed to stay in the division but managed to secure Cork for a further year in the Championship, where he enjoyed a fruitful season, playing forty matches to establish himself as one of the most promising players in the Championship.

Chelsea had made it clear a year previously that they wanted to sell Cork and his form at Burnley sparked a bid from Southampton for £700,000 in the July of 2011. After joining the south coast club, Cork’s impact was immediate, playing in every single league match as Nigel Adkins’s side earned promotion back to the top, and striking up a solid partnership with Schneiderlin , who missed just four games in that promotion year, that has carried on to this year.

Despite an ankle injury, picked up in a pre-season match against Bristol City, curtailing his first few months of the campaign, him and Schneiderlin have managed to form the solid backbone to a midfield that has driven Southampton to a good chance of survival with eight games of the season remaining.

It is indicative of how much the Saints missed Cork at the beginning of the season as they lost 8 of their first 10 matches. The duo has now featured together 20 times and has remained consistent through the managerial change from Adkins to Manuel Pochettino in January.

Cork’s form and reputation for possessing technical quality in the heart of midfield has also seen him establish himself in the England under 21s after representing the national side at every previous youth level. He also received a call-up for the under-23’s in last year’s London Olympics, playing three times for Stuart Pearce’s side as they were eliminated in the quarter-finals.

 

Strengths, style and weaknesses

Schneiderlin and Cork have acted as the central midfield duo in Southampton’s 4-4-2 system that was favoured by Adkins and has verged into a 4-2-3-1 under Pochettino. Whilst Schneiderlin focuses more on the “uglier” side of the partnership with his tough tackling and superb reading of the game, it is down to Cork to pick up the ball and distribute it from his deep position alongside his French partner.

Cork averaged the most passes per game in the Southampton side under Adkins with 53.6%, dropping deep to provide the link between the defence and attack with his wide range of passing, as well as enabling the full-backs to move forward on either side in order to provide further width.

His positioning off the ball was deep under Adkins, in a move designed to ease the defensive burden on Schneiderlin in a league where they would face the free roaming talents in the Ilk of Juan Mata and Santi Cazorla.

With the duo sitting, usually behind the attacking force of Gaston Ramirez, they could avoid being drawn out of position by the opposition, allowing them to be rigid in terms of offering protection to the defence; it is no coincidence that they have lost just five games since Cork’s November return, with their defence cleaning up dramatically with five clean sheets after registering none in their first ten league games. In the 18 games they have played together, Southampton have lost just 5.

Under Pochettino however, the two players have been pushed higher, with Cork still the deepest but lying on the half-way line behind his partner, who has been instructed to push higher up in keeping with the Argentinian’s emphasis on a high pressure game. The Frenchman’s rabid style of charging around his midfield area looking for the ball is supplemented by Cork’s calmness alongside him, waiting for the second ball to come free in order to launch an attack with his fine vision on the ball.

Cork’s discipline and presence behind him has allowed Schneiderlin more freedom to join the attack to operate off the knock-downs of Rickie Lambert, hence his five goal (his most ever in a campaign) haul this year.

Cork..... cool and unfazed under pressure.

Cork….. cool and unfazed under pressure.

Cork’s positioning behind Schneiderlin gives safety to the midfield in the knowledge that if the first barrier of press is breached, Cork is there to win the ball back in his withdrawn position, his 61% challenge success rate suggests he can win the ball back strongly and move it forward with his 83% passing accuracy. His 19 chances created this season shows how positive he is with the use of the ball.

With both of Southampton’s 23 year old central-midfielders displaying intelligence in terms of defensive positioning and a good technical ability which allows for quick movement of the ball, which is vital to Pochettino’s fast counter-attacking philosophy, it is a promising partnership that the St Mary’s club will be hoping that will be around for years to come.

Such is the excellence in understanding they have both performed with this season, that may hinge on whether they can stay in the Premier League, but with the Anglo-French partnership of Cork and Schneiderlin, the beating heart of Southampton’s well-drilled system, they will have a massive say on whether that will happen or not.

 

Written by Adam Gray

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English Premier League: How have the promoted teams fared so far?

  By O-Posts Team | October 15, 2024 - 21:46 | , , ,
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When Southampton, Reading and West Ham respectively got promoted to the premier league all three clubs knew that they would have a battle on their hands if they wanted to stay in the “big time”.

Speculation surrounded all three clubs, would they be like the Derby of 2007/2008, who endured an absolutely torrid season or would they, be more like the Swansea of last season and impress those who doubted them.

Now with seven games into the season, (or in Reading’s case six) it is now time to judge how well each promoted team has started.

 

Southampton


Although they currently sit fourth from bottom, elements of Southampton’s game have impressed many people in the footballing world.

They’ve gone on the offensive in virtually every single game so far, with players such as Jason Puncheon, Ricky Lambert and Jay Rodriquez all performing impressively. However, their defence has let them down, having conceded twenty goals already this season.

Southampton have already played both of last season’s top two, Manchester City and Manchester United, losing 3-2 against both sides, both due to late goals after the Saints led.

In many ways, these matches have summarised Southampton’s start, plenty of attacking intent and prowess, but defensively, far too weak.

Their matches have proved to be entertaining, but with such a leaky defence, Southampton’s first Premier League campaign in seven years, could be very brief indeed.

 

Reading

Brian McDermott’s side are currently one of only three sides who are currently winless in this season’s Premier League campaign so far. However, three draws against Stoke, Newcastle and most recently Swansea have given the Royals some hope. Before the season, many pundits believed that one thing Reading needed to do if they wanted to stay up was to make the Madjeski stadium a fortress.

So far, although they are yet to win a game, only Tottenham Hotspur have won at the Madjeski, while Reading themselves have managed to score a respectable four in three games there, and eight in their six Premier League matches, including two away at Chelsea, in an eventual 4-2 defeat.

With Pavel Pogrebnyak already having four goals to his name so far this season, it shouldn’t be too long before Reading break their winless streak, and when they do they could very well do more than simply stay up.

 

West Ham


Out of all three of the promoted sides, the Hammers are arguably best equipped to deal with the top flight due to the wealth of Premier League experience in the squad. Now having played seven games, the East London side have looked generally good upon their return to the league they were relegated from just two seasons ago.

The loan signing of Andy Carroll from Liverpool has looked to be a good choice, with Carroll impressing on his debut against Fulham, rekindling his relationship from his Newcastle days with Kevin Nolan.

Although they have showed signs of defensive frailties, particularly in their 3-0 loss away at Swansea where James Collins and James Tomkins were run ragged by the Swansea attack, the Hammers’ fans will generally be pleased with their side’s performances and results this season.

Now with Andy Carroll back fully fit, and Mohammed Diame, Kevin Nolan and Mark Noble all looking industrious in central midfield, I see no reason why West Ham can’t finish well clear above the relegation zone this season.

 

Written by Joshua Sodergren

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Scouting Report: Nathaniel Clyne (Southampton)

  By O-Posts Team | September 7, 2024 - 22:34 | , ,
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Nathaniel Clyne

 

The facts:

Full name: Nathaniel Edwin Clyne
Date of birth: April 5th 1991
Club: Southampton
Position: Right back
Height: 1.75m
Weight: 67kg
Squad number: 2

Nathaniel Clyne is a young player with a growing reputation in football and came through Crystal Palace’s highly respected youth academy. Crystal Palace youth academy has produced a number of young talented footballers in recent years, the most notable being Victor Moses who recently signed for Chelsea after taking Wigan by storm.

Despite being just 21, Clyne made 123 appearances for Crystal Palace before moving to Southampton this summer. He has since played in all of Southampton’s games so far this season.

His composure, work rate, speed and tenacity has made him an instant success despite being in an under-performing team. This does not come as a surprise to me though as he won Crystal Palace Young Player Of The Year twice, Football League Young Player Of The Year once and Crystal Palace Player Of The Year once in his three year spell at Crystal Palace.

As far as his football is concerned he put his development first by turning down a move to then Premier League club Wolvehampton Wanderers in 2010 as he did not feel he was ready and wanted more first-team football.

Clyne was one of the stars in a Crystal Palace team that contained Victor Moses, Wilfred Zaha, Sean Scannell and Jonathan Williams. All of which featured (except Moses) in The Eagles’ shock win against Manchester United in the League Cup last season.

My ratings:

Speed- 85/100, potential speed 85/100.

Crossing- 74/100, potential crossing 83/100.

Work rate- 86/100, potential work rate 90/100.

Tackling- 77/100, potential tackling 84/100.

Last ditch tackles- 83/100, potential last ditch tackles 88/100.

Positioning- 71/100, potential positioning 83/100.

Discipline- 88/100, potential discipline 88/100.

Market value- £8m, potential market value £18m.

 

The summary:

With his composure and reliability Clyne could easily be a future England international, however there is fierce competition coming from both Richards and Kyle Walker for that England right back spot. Clyne will no doubt be a player of quality, but I do not think he will be a player long remembered after retirement.

Video of Clyne in action

 

Report written by Thomas Munson

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