One should imagine that at the beginning, Ronald Koeman’s fresh, fully fledged Southampton side were going to feel overwhelmed by the transitions made by former heroes of St. Mary’s turf, Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert, Calum Chambers and Luke Shaw especially; many fans undoubtedly assumed these men were going to be sorely needed. However, Dutchman, Mr. Koeman, is not one to make ill-informed decisions and had been unscrupulously watching his new players, calculating their abilities and how such strengths were going to season the already excellent recipe that Mauricio Pochettino installed last Premier League.
I’m not certain that it would have been ambitious for the managerial members at the club to have aimed for a Top 10 position at the start of this bid; the new players in, including Dušan Tadić and Graziano Pellè, both have the calibre to mould the rest of the team around the structure upfront. However, after seeing how Saints started, it was obvious that they meant business, and were so thoroughly prepared that echoes of old names were fading rapidly. With Tadić and Pellè frequently combining to create the most innovative duo in attacking position, the wildest dreams of Koeman and the many supporters were soon set alight, and have since been remarkable to behold.
The humility that Koeman often displays is very pleasant to witness, but perhaps his tentative hopes of something nearer to a Top 10 spot should be ever so slightly revaluated to a Top 6 position, if not a mighty Top 4, given that they have been comfortably sitting in second place for some weeks.
The reality that Saints could do far better than initially anticipated is extraordinary. Fans of the club are unassuming, with ideals about Saints not finishing last in the league, rather than first. But when you see the players, from Tadić and Pellè, to Ryan Bertrand and Victor Wanyama, Sadio Mané and Nathaniel Clyne, you begin to understand just how worthy a team Saints would be at least in Europa, if not the Champions League. If this sounds outlandish, you’re welcome to stop here, but in terms of how the table is currently panning out, expectations for the south coast squad are rising.
Seeing Saints win matches even with very small margins is encouraging enough, but when they shone so brightly, to the tune of 8-0 against Sunderland, it was evident that this wasn’t the little club with a rivalry against Portsmouth; this is the little club that have morphed into something large enough, somehow, to sit underneath Chelsea. This sort of score alone just shows quite how different Koeman’s side is to the one that relied so heavily and actively upon Lambert and Lallana last season. Now look at those two; the transfer hasn’t been quite as glorious as I’m sure they had longed for.
Now that ex-players don’t appear vital, Ronald Koeman should look much more appealing a boss to fans who might have been a tad dubious to begin with. Saints have one of the best defensive lines in the division, with Fraser Forster with one of the most capable pairs of hands at the helm of the goal. The Serbian and the Italian have records which now precede them both, and I can’t emphasise enough how truly stunning they have been for Saints.
The only new expectation that has posed itself for the team is that they do themselves justice and finish in the Top 4. They must be as courageous as ever in future endeavours this season, but remain mindful that the January transfer window could shake things up a bit. If it peppers the team with any extra power, then we really could witness this bunch of red and white stripes make history.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @lastwordimogen. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport and @LWOSworld – and “liking” our Facebook page.
Have you tuned into Last Word On Sports Radio? LWOS is pleased to bring you 24/7 sports radio to your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. What are you waiting for?
Feel free to discuss this and other footy related articles with thousands of fans at r/football.
Main Photo: PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images
