Southampton sales mean new rebuilding job for Ronald Koeman
Thursday 16 July 2015 13:31, UK
We examine the challenges facing Southampton as they prepare to rebuild once more.
With Morgan Schneiderlin and Nathaniel Clyne sold as well as Toby Alderweireld's loan deal having expired, Southampton supporters are facing another summer of change at St Mary's.
But with many having predicted a difficult 2014/15 season after last summer's upheaval, Saints responded with a stunning start that propelled them to a seventh-place finish.
Can Ronald Koeman shrug off the high-profile exits once more, or will these departures prove more problematic for Southampton to prosper in their absence? We take a look...
Lost the engine room
When Claude Makelele was allowed to leave Real Madrid, Zinedine Zidane famously claimed they'd put another layer of gold paint on the Bentley while losing the engine. Schneiderlin was more appreciated at the club and expansive on the pitch than his fellow Frenchman, but Southampton could endure similar problems without their pressing machine.
Saints lost six of their 24 Premier League games (25 per cent) with Schneiderlin in the starting line-up last season but that became eight out of 14 (57 per cent) when he wasn't in the team. Having made more tackles than any other Premier League player over the past three seasons and more interceptions than any midfielder, it's easy to see why.
Perhaps the biggest frustration for Southampton supporters will be the feeling that in Jack Cork they had the ideal deputy ready and waiting to fill Schneiderlin's shoes. Instead, the young midfielder was allowed to join Swansea in January and Koeman will now surely need to buy well if he is to adequately replace such a key figure.
Defensive rebuild
It's not only in midfield that Southampton will be forced to rejig things. Defensive reliability was a vital part of the team's success in 2014/15 with Saints making fewer errors leading to opposition shots than any other team in the division. Cedric Soares must step up quickly to replace Clyne but making do without Alderweireld's influence could be even trickier.
According to Opta, Alderweireld went completely error free throughout the season with Koeman hailing his influence on the group as a winner and a leader. The Belgian was also among the top six defenders for accurate long passes in the Premier League in 2014/15, with his distribution from the back giving his side an added dimension to their play.
Alderweireld slotted successfully into Dejan Lovren's role in that respect and while Jose Fonte has been a revelation for Southampton - topping the Premier League for interceptions in 2014/15 - the 31-year-old needs a good foil to work alongside at the back. Can Koeman fill the void once more, or will this be one change too many?
Reasons for optimism
In the final third, things are rather more settled and given the club's transfer dealings with Les Reed at the helm, there is every reason to be encouraged that Southampton can make their higher profile pay for them yet again. Juanmi, the club's summer signing from Malaga, has impressed in pre-season and the diminutive 22-year-old will offer another good option.
It's not all about the new signings though. As well as the likes of Graziano Pelle, Sadio Mane and Dusan Tadic, the return to fitness of England international Jay Rodriguez will be a welcome boost for Koeman and with Gaston Ramirez available again, there is plenty of creativity to work with.
Ultimately, the lesson of previous seasons is that Southampton should not be written off and few will be predicting relegation for them this time around. With an academy to envy, the likes of Jordan Turnbull and Harrison Reed could well emerge from the youth ranks to play important roles in 2015/16. Never bet against Southampton. They've rebuilt before.
