As a football fan, irrespective of which team has your vote, it’s an unsettling time of year. Rumours begin to circulate about the future of integral players, and you therefore start to question how prosperous your team would be next season if they were to sell said team members. As a Southampton fan, the glory of the past two seasons makes these few months leading up to August that bit more concerning.
Could Southampton Face the Same Concerns as Last August?
Thinking Back to When Ronald Koeman Took Charge
Following the mass departure of what seemed the entire core squad last year (namely Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert, Calum Chambers and Luke Shaw), Saints supporters felt a little glum. Steadily, new signings emerged, including Dušan Tadić and Graziano Pellè; both were instrumental in the flying start to Saints’ campaign under Ronald Koeman. Pellè has been gradually regaining form in recent weeks, which raises suspicions as to whether his place at the club will be safe come summer or not; various whispers fluttered back in January about whether he would receive offers from bigger clubs, but any potential invitations could well be knocked back by Koeman. Pellè has been an ideal fit at Saints, though, and his prowess and confidence could be entirely regained after some additional rest and training once the season draws to a close. Furthermore, there could well be plenty more for Eljero Elia to bring forth.
Are Saints in the Same Position Again?
However, somewhat worryingly still, Morgan Schneiderlin has thundered back into the rumour mill, not just with possible offers from Tottenham Hotspur, but also Manchester United and Arsenal. Schneiderlin was subjected to many prior questions about his position at the south coast club, and Spurs have been openly interested in the Frenchman. However, the midfielder has been ruled out of further action for the remainder of the league fixtures due to a knee ligament injury. Could he have danced his last in a Saints shirt? Schneiderlin has been such a major figure at the club for so many years; his absence would be greatly felt and could well unnerve fans once again.
Additionally, Nathaniel Clyne has been party to a little gossip about fleeing St. Mary’s. The Telegraph noted that Clyne has received interest from Manchester United and Chelsea; transferral to either one of these teams could instantly bolster his career tenfold. However, his departure would leave Saints open to areas of weakness, which could be a struggle to fill. Koeman’s new contract for Clyne has allegedly been turned down at this stage, and the Saints manager can offer no further assurances as to whether the 24-year-old will don the striped jersey next season.
So, does this mean that Saints fans should fear another large-scale make-over before August? Will the key Premier League clubs come to profit from the Southampton’s loss? This all remains to be seen. However, I have faith that Ronald Koeman would be able to soften the blow once again; his managerial skills have proved outstanding in the division, and have been accredited so. Schneiderlin and Clyne look top of the list tipped to leave, but this does not mean that Saints will plummet, or face even a remotely similar dire situation as last year.
Fans were quite rightly apprehensive at the beginning of the 2014/15 spell, but were very suddenly shocked into the reality that Saints are an incredible club with much calibre to offer. Even if another set of vital players depart, it’s happened before, and a beneficial restructuring can happen again.
