Andalucia Masters 2018: Preview & Picks

From wet and windy Walton Heath to warmer climes in the south of Spain we go – next on the European Tour agenda is the Andalucia Masters, hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation. After a 5 year hiatus, it returned to the calendar last year, Garcia himself taking home the spoils with a narrow victory over Joost Luiten.

Played at Valderrama, host of the 1997 Ryder Cup, it requires accuracy off the tee with narrow, tree-lined fairways and undulating greens – not dissimilar in some ways to the test provided by Le Golf National. In stark contract to the birdie-fest we witnessed last week at the CIMB Classic, the winner here will be the steadiest player, not the most spectacular.

Garcia has rightly been installed as favourite, but I’ve baulked at the prices on offer – generally hovering around the 4/1 mark. Fresh from his Ryder Cup heroics and playing on a course he loves, he’s bound to be in the running, but at at that price I see no value in backing him.

I also think Lee Westwood will have a good week – admittedly some time ago now, but he has thrived on this course in the past, and recent form suggests he’s returning to some semblance of form. At third favourite though, I’m also struggling to see him as a particularly attractive option.

Instead, I’ve gone for the incredibly impressive Marcus Kinhult: just 22 years old, he has three top fives this year and held the lead going into the final round of the French Open. He failed to convert on that occasion, but will have learnt a lot from the experience and his recent form suggests he could fare well here. The market has certainly sat up and taken notice of the young Swede – he could be backed at around 100/1 a few months ago. Nonetheless, I’m backing him at 40/1 to take his maiden European Tour title.

My second pick is Ricardo Gouveia. The Portuguese finished an impressive T7 on home soil last month in the Portugal Masters, and then backed that up last week with a top-10 at the British Masters. After a strong opening round here last year, he finished in a respectable T23 and I think at 70/1 he is worth a punt this week.

Finally I’ve picked someone who’s accurate off the tee for this tight, challenging course. Aaron Rai sits inside the Top-25 for driving accuracy on the European Tour and proved his liking for the course when achieving T9 in this tournament last year and winning on the Challenge Tour here as well. His form this season has been intermittent, not unexpected considering his tender age, but T9 at the Scottish Open and T5 at the BMW International Open suggest a maiden European Tour title is not far away.

Picks:

• Marcus Kinhult – 40/1 win
• Ricardo Gouveia – 70/1 e/w
• Aaron Rai – 50/1 e/w

 

Ryder Cup: Where America Fell Apart

A party atmosphere filled Paris on Sunday night as Europe wrestled back the coveted Ryder Cup, beating much fancied America 17½ – 10½. The build-up to the big event was all about the strength of Team USA – they boasted eleven of the world’s top-twenty and six of the last eight Major winners – but Europe were far too strong, and America’s winless run on European soil now lengthens to a quarter of a century.

The event itself was a huge success. The rolling hills of the course made for the perfect spectator venue: the banks of fans crowded round undulating greens created an extraordinary cauldron of atmosphere. The closing sequence resembled an amphitheatre meaning fans could watch three holes at once, all the time wondering which European would deliver the winning point.

This was undoubtedly a famous victory for Team Europe, but how on earth did it go so wrong for a team of Americans many had lauded as the greatest ever?

The home advantage certainly contributed: the superior accuracy of the Europeans and the relative familiarity with the course were advantages that had been foreseen, but not many knew just how much they would come into play.

Golf writer Alan Shipnuck said the following in the aftermath of the event:

The narrow fairways and long rough put a premium on accuracy – they blunted one of the key weapons of the big hitting Americans, exactly as intended. It’s unfair though to say the course set-up took driver out of the bag – it simply exposed driving inaccuracy, exactly as a golf course should do. The PGA tour is, in general, too sparing of wild tee shots – spray it 50 yards into the trees and you’ll most likely still have a line to the green – the same shot at Le Golf National however (as McIlroy found out in the Saturday Foursomes) will be completely unplayable. To label a course ‘flawed’ simply because it punishes bad shots is ridiculous.

The fact remains though that Team USA were largely unable to deal with the tight, challenging golf course. Only one American, Justin Thomas, had taken the opportunity to compete in the French Open this year: perhaps unsurprisingly, he looked at home on the course and was his team’s top points scorer. Detractors usually point towards the draw of the more financially rewarding PGA Tour, but on this occasion, the Quicken Loans National had a very similar purse to its European counterpart. The next time the Ryder Cup is hosted in Europe, the Americans must learn from their mistakes – the European Tour intends to host the Italian Open at the Marco Simone from 2021. America’s captain in 2022’s instalment of the Ryder Cup should actively encourage his prospective players to bolster the tournament’s field that year.

Le Golf National: miss the fairway at your peril

Furyk’s selections were strange to say the least. An out of form Mickelson was surely doomed to fail in the Foursomes, whilst Bubba Watson, erratic off the tee at the best of times, isn’t in form either. If Furyk wanted to blood these two, perhaps he should’ve looked to do so in the Fourballs where consistency isn’t quite so vital. The captain’s wildcard selections yielded just 2 points from a possible 12, both courtesy of Tony Finau who was undoubtedly one of the success stories of the week – hindsight is a wonderful thing, but perhaps given the course layout America might have benefited from the superior accuracy of the likes of Billy Horschel whose recent form has been excellent.

The aftermath of the European victory has drawn accusations from Reed that Spieth refused to play with him (more likely simply a preference to play with childhood friend Justin Thomas) and reports of a bust up between Koepka and Johnson. Rumour has it the skirmish started even before the plane landed in Paris, prompting a reshuffle of the pairings as Furyk had intended to pair them in both Foursomes and Fourballs.

This sits in stark contrast with the harmony within the European camp: from ‘Moliwood’ to their record breaking Friday Foursomes performance, illusions of a unified American team cultivated at Hazeltine were all but banished last week. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen two more reluctant teammates than Woods and Reed – after the former hit a wonderful approach on the 10th to 4-foot on Saturday morning, I saw no interaction between the two: no fist bump, not even a polite acknowledgement. The frostiness of their partnership made for uncomfortable viewing.

There’s no doubting these Americans have many of the hallmarks of greatness, but they’ll never be great unless they can play as a team. It’s all very well romping to victory in your backyard. To do it the other side of the world, when everything conspires against you: that’s when you prove yourself, and in that America completely and utterly failed. Dare I say another task-force might be needed?

Ryder Cup 2018 – An Early Preview

Golf’s biennial showpiece is almost upon us once more. When the first tee shot is struck at Le Golf National in under 2 months’ time, it will signal the start of three gruelling days of high stakes, nerve jangling golf, the result of which is almost impossible to call.

Here I’ll look at wildcard selections, some potentially potent pairings for each team, and who will walk away with golf’s most prestigious team trophy.

Those in automatic qualifying spots currently for Europe (L) and USA (R)

Team Europe – wildcards

For me, there are two nailed on wildcards for Team Europe, provided a late charge doesn’t see them qualify automatically – Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson. Europe should be wary of picking players based on past Ryder Cup form alone (evidenced by Poulter in 2014 and Westwood in 2016) but both these players’ form shows they are worthy of selection: Poulter led the Bridgestone Invitational after round 2, finishing a credible T10 adding to his impressive T12 at the Canadian Open the week before. Stenson meanwhile finished T6 at the U.S.Open and T5 at the Masters this year.

Third pick for me would be Sergio Garcia – a senior statesman of the team, he won his first Major title last year, and whilst he’s not been playing his very best golf of late he is still the 9th highest ranked European in the OWGR. Garcia’s making Bjorn’s decision difficult though when it really shouldn’t be – he needs a good week at the PGA to regain the captain’s confidence.

Final pick is a very difficult one – there are many deserving players, and I’m sure one or more will play themselves into pole position over the next month. Prime candidates appear to be Matt Fitzpatrick, Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Russell Knox and Thorbjorn Olesen. Certainly a left-field shout would be Frenchman Alex Levy – though he is ranked a lowly 70th in the world, I like his game and think he would rise to the occasion of a home Ryder Cup. Sadly though, his strong early season form has dried up and he’d need to have a brilliant PGA this week to come into the thinking. With this is mind, Bjorn’s compatriot Olesen really should take the final spot in the side – rookie though he may be, he’s in excellent form with 4 top-6 finishes in his last 7 events. Another strong showing this week (get your money on, he’s still 80-1 with some bookies) would surely cement his place in the team.

Team USA – wildcards

Another two easy picks here for Furyk I think. Phil Mickelson and Matt Kuchar both sit just shy of automatic selection but both are experienced performers on the big stage. Kuchar’s consistency will be useful at Le Golf National which will be set out to disadvantage the big hitting but sometimes fairway-shy Americans. Mickelson meanwhile is a popular figure in the American dressing room, and his world class short game could be useful in a partnership with one of their bigger hitters.

Mickelson and Woods – both worthy of selection?

Furyk then has a dilemma: Tiger Woods’ recovery seems to have been hitch-free so far. The 14 time Major winner is playing without pain for the first time since 2013, but there is the  lingering question of whether his body will be able to handle the intensive (both mentally and physically) Ryder Cup so soon after his return. Then there’s the stats: even when at the height of his powers, his form in the competition was less than impressive. Is he worth a pick, despite the potential drawbacks? His form certainly suggests so – he was T6 in the Open, and had an impressive first two rounds at WGC-Bridgestone. I feel he should get the nod; even if he is to play little part in the Foursomes/Fourballs, he would still be a valuable presence, and a strong proposition in the singles.

The US team are littered with experience, with no debutants this year – I think they would benefit from the presence of a rookie and feel DeChambeau could be just the ticket for them. A notoriously fiery character, if he’s selected Furyk will need the the Californian to channel that aggression and not allow it to boil over in what will be a cauldron of atmosphere. He has to tools (designed by himself) to prove a valuable addition to Team USA.

‘The Scientist’ – this year’s only American rookie?

Possible Pairings

Molinari & Fleetwood – I really like the prospect of sending these two out together in the Fourballs. They are very much their team’s form players, and their consistency will frighten the Americans. They are bound to produce birdies aplenty.

Rose & Stenson – This is a pairing Bjorn should look to reunite. They’ve scored 4 out of a possible 6 Ryder Cup points together and their reputation as unflappable will intimidate their opposition.

Rahm & Garcia – Rahm is an incredibly exciting talent who looks perfectly suited to Ryder Cup golf. Though he’s a rookie, I have a feeling he’ll score a lot of points in Paris. Could this Spanish pairing of youth and experience become the next Ballesteros and Olazabal?

 

Reed & Spieth – Tempting though it is to pair Spieth with best buddy Justin Thomas, Furyk can’t afford to split up this pairing. They’ve scored 5 out of 7 available points when playing together – Reed produces his very best golf in the Ryder Cup, and this pairing could prove almost impossible to stop.

Koepka & Thomas – These two both boast enormous length off the tee, and formidable putting ability. Although the course’s layout is sure to pose some problems for the bigger hitters, I’m excited about this potential pairing for their huge birdie potential.

Johnson & Kuchar – I think Dustin and Kooch have the potential to form a ruthless Foursomes pairing – they won together in 2016 as Johnson’s big hitting combined beautifully with Kuchar’s precision off the tee. It could work wonders once more.

Verdict – Who Will Win?

Course set up is, more often that not, key to how the Ryder Cup will unfold. Team USA prefer their host courses set up with wide fairways, minimal rough and accessible pin positions to ensure maximum birdie opportunities for their big hitting lineup. Europe, by contract, like to thicken the rough and toughen the pin positions, ensuring their players’ greater accuracy off the tee comes to the fore.

The French Open (held each year at Le Golf National) offered an opportunity to see how the course will be set up for the Ryder Cup – as suspected, the fairways are getting narrower and the rough is thickening up. The event offered an excellent chance for the American players to get a sneak peak of the course layout – bizarrely, only Justin Thomas took the opportunity.

Man for man, Team USA probably have the edge over the Europeans – the likes of Thomas, Johnson, Spieth and Fowler are not only supremely talented, but also good friends, so the ‘team’ element so clearly lacking at the turn of the millennium is now present in spades.

Despite this though, I think Team Europe’s class will shine through. This year’s squad will be far stronger than the one which capitulated in 2016: whilst Fleetwood, Rahm and Noren will all be making their debuts, they appear to be made for Ryder Cup golf. The experienced Paul Casey makes a welcome return, and Francesco Molinari is in the form of his life. The result is nigh on impossible to call, but I’m full of expectation for one of the highest quality meetings we’ve ever seen between these two old adversaries.

Score Prediction: Europe 15 – 13 USA

Onwards and Upwards: We March On

And breathe… The nature of being a Saints fan in recent times had me discounting none of the permutations that could have seen Saints drop out of the Premier League yesterday evening. A 5-0 defeat to the 100-point-searching Champions seemed eminently possible. Likewise, I kidded myself into believing that a hapless Swansea team who hadn’t scored in their last 4 league games could suddenly rout already-relegated Stoke 5-0. Thankfully my pessimism has been blown apart, Stoke having one last Premier League hurrah, and Saints falling to a last second Gabriel Jesus winner, performing admirably against the expensively assembled Manchester City.

I won’t attempt to dissect this bitterly disappointing season – I did as much when I justified why Pellegrino’s time was up – instead, it’s time to discuss what needs to happen in the summer in order to improve the culture at the club and ensure Southampton avoid the same fate next season.

Leadership
A feature closely associated with Southampton Football Club in recent times has been transparency from the top down. The Liebherrs, Cortese, Reed and Krueger have been open and honest with the fanbase about where they see the club going and in what timescale that can be achieved. The ‘Five Year Plan’ to return Southampton to the Premier League was executed in just three years: JPT triumph at Wembley in front of a beaming Markus Liebherr was followed by back-to-back promotions.

Saints then set their sights a little higher – sacking the affable Adkins and replacing him with little-known Argentinian Pochettino proved inspired, propelling Southampton to the upper echelons of the league. Champions League football was the (perhaps unrealistic) target:

“We’d like to think we have the structure to [reach the Champions League] in the next five years.” Les Reed, April 2015

After several seasons of further progression, the poaching of fan favourites Pochettino and Koeman meant the managerial hunt had to begin again, and it’s in this task that the board failed spectacularly. The appointments of first Puel then Pellegrino were an alarming departure from the attacking intensity instilled by the former two managers. Puel made Saints harder to break down, but Saints forgot how to score under his stewardship and the Frenchman’s team slowly slipped down the table. Pellegrino’s credentials were no better, and his apparent lack of any game plan at all soon had supporters baying for his blood too.

In the cut and thrust world of Premier League football, some might admire the board’s persistence with Pellegrino, but the fact is he overstayed his welcome at Southampton and should have been sacked many months before his eventual dismissal with just 8 games of the season to go.

While safety has been secured by the finest of margins, this complacency was driven by the board a.) making poor appointments and b.) not wishing to hold their hands up to these mistakes. There certainly hasn’t been an admission to these failings – Reed and Krueger, who are both all too happy to be the mouthpiece of the club in the great times, have remained silent in the shadows as we continue our sharp decline.

The club is now under 80% Chinese ownership, but Mr Gao has yet to communicate directly with the club’s fans. There seems a blatant disconnect between the lifeblood of the club and those that oversee its existence. This summer, we need some strong statements from those in positions of power on where they see the club going, giving fans something to strive towards. Are we content with simply staying up, or can we get to the next level?

Manager
There came a point earlier this season when I started to fall out of love with Southampton. I’m not fickle enough to do that simply because results weren’t going our way, no, this was because the football on show was dull and unimaginative, and the players looked shockingly disinterested. This was a group of players who could see the trap door beckoning but, quite frankly, didn’t care. Mark Hughes’ appointment has turned out to be just the tonic for Southampton – while he hasn’t revolutionised the playing style, he’s brought the passion back. The players finally care again, and are playing as a unit rather than as undoubtedly talented but wildly underachieving individuals.

For me, it’s essential Southampton keep Hughes this summer. The players and fans are fully behind ‘Sparky’ – only 8 games under his leadership and he’s achieved something neither Puel nor Pellegrino could; his name echoes around St.Mary’s on match days.

In the long-term, I’d like to see us appoint another young, ambitious coach in the vein of Pochettino who fosters exciting, attacking football. For the moment though, Hughes seems just the ticket to steady the ship and reestablish Southampton as top 10 material.

Captain
Southampton desperately need to end the trend of bestowing the honour of captaincy on a player desperate to leave. Virgil Van Dijk was given captaincy in the midst of his angling for transfer to Liverpool. Current captain Ryan Bertrand too has looked disinterested at times this season, and I’m almost certain he will leave the club this summer. Saints have lacked leaders on the pitch this year – the new captain will need to lead from the front and be fully committed to this club. Step forward Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

The Dane has been excellent when called upon and must surely be one of the first names on the team sheet next season. Comfortable on the ball with an impressive range of passing and willing to put his body on the line, it’s his character that shines through – I love that he’s willing to front up to poor performances and is articulate and passionate in press conferences. I would be delighted if he’s give the captaincy for 2018/19 and beyond.

Others worthy of mention would be midfield bulldog Romeu and one of our very own, James Ward-Prowse. The former dominates the midfield and has been vocal about his love of Southampton, whilst the latter has captained England U21s and has turned in some very impressive performances this season. Whoever is selected as manager has a big decision to make.

Team
I don’t feel a complete overhaul is needed – as mentioned earlier, we have the basis of a talented squad, we just need to get them playing quality football. Having said that, there are still some key transfers (both in and out) we need to get over the line this summer. Offers are likely to come in for Ryan Bertrand and, provided they’re big, I’d thank Ryan for his service and wave him on his way – he looks like he craves a move to a big team, and with Targett and McQueen waiting in line, I don’t see replacing him as too much of an issue.

Guido Carrillo – abject failure

Meanwhile, the signing of Guido Carrillo looks exceedingly poor – the £19 million man hasn’t scored for the club and no longer even makes the bench. We’ll undoubtedly make a loss on him, but hopefully we’ll soon be saying farewell to the striker. I mean, he might get a bad rep, but at least Ali Dia came close to scoring.

 

Fraser Forster is another we need to usher out of the door. ‘The Wall’ was just that during his first season and a half at St.Mary’s, and deservedly challenged for the England number 1 shirt. The last few years have been quite the opposite and, after flaps and fumbles aplenty, he was finally usurped by the hugely impressive Alex McCarthy. Therein lies the issue – after signing a new five-year contract last summer, Saints now have one of their highest paid players languishing on the bench. Easier said than done, but we have to try and find a way to get this drain on resources to move on this summer.

And so to new signings. For me there are three main priorities:

Centre Back – while this was a position of strength in recent times – Van Dijk replaced Alderweireld who replaced Lovren – we currently lack a centre back of the highest quality to partner one of Stephens, Bednarek or Hoedt. I think this is the priority, and hope we break our transfer record to secure the appropriate signing.

Sisto – on his way to Saints?

Winger – in the mould of Mane, we need a pacy winger who is unafraid to take on their man (ahem, Redmond…) and has an eye for goal. The likes of Quincy Promes and particularly Pione Sisto appeal to me.

Striker – with Gabbiadini and Carillo likely to pack their bags and never return, a goalscorer is needed to ease the burden on Charlie Austin up top. For the second successive season, no player has reached double figures in the league. It’s time for the black box to earn its corn once more and find us a gem.

So onwards and upwards I say. Come on you Saints.

Do or Die?

Tonight is the night. The shoots of recovery from the horror-show of Pellegrino’s tenure are clear for all to see – the team has begun playing with passion rarely seen under the Argentine and, vitally, results have improved. Two dropped points at Everton – largely down referee Jon Moss – were difficult to take, but our goal remains the same: there can be no excuses, Southampton simply must beat Swansea City at the Liberty tonight.

Teetering above the relegation zone (and Swansea) on goal difference

Having themselves shown a spike in form under Clement’s replacement Carlos Carvahal, three straight defeats and no win in seven have plunged Swansea into the relegation zone, their inferior goal difference placing them below Southampton.

Claims of sabotage have already been levelled at Swansea, Southampton’s hotel booking having been cancelled at short notice, forcing them to relocate to Cardiff, 35 miles down the M4. Saints must either use this to fire themselves up, or put it to the back of their minds and concentrate on breaking Welsh hearts (not Mark Hughes’ though…)

The likes of Tadic and Redmond have hit form finally, the former was star of the show against Bournemouth, and the latter was at his rapid, tricky best at Goodison Park. Defence remains a big concern, but against the league’s joint lowest scorers, and with goalkeeper McCarthy in inspired form, this shouldn’t be our main concern. Scoring goals should be the target – £19 million was spent trying to alleviate this problem, but the signing of Guido Carrillo has been an embarrassment, the striker having failed to score, and now no longer making the bench.

I have a feeling Charlie Austin will be the key to tonight’s game. A composed finisher, if he’s given the chances he will score. I hope Southampton approach tonight’s game with confidence and passion – man for man they’re stronger than Swansea, and the team spirit so desperately lacking this season has at last returned. Win and we’re safe if we avoid a heavy defeat to Man City on the final day of the season (easier said than done). Lose and we’ll not only have to beat the Champions, but hope Swansea slip up against already relegated Stoke. Our season is once more in our hands – let’s not fall at such a surmountable hurdle.

Into The Abyss

A quick flick through this blog confirms that I only tend to post when my optimism is verging on the imbecilic (case in point, Champions League Football For Southampton?) but now it’s time for a dose of cold, hard reality – Southampton are in a relegation fight, and at this point in time it’s a fight we’re almost certainly going to lose.

As the gravity of yet another failure to win at home sunk in – equalling our longest ever winless run in the Premier League, now standing at 12 games – I found myself wondering how, in an era of bang-or-bust, where coaches are seen as expendable as paper plates, are Southampton still saddled with a manager who shows not an ounce of technical. Is it simply that the owners are too proud to admit their error in appointing him?

Trailing at half time to a team in free-fall themselves, the only positive I could draw from the proceedings was that we wouldn’t be able to sit back and attempt (inevitably failing) to defend a narrow lead. We saw the manager take the initiative and introduce Boufal and record signing Carrillo at the break – why though couldn’t we have embraced this positive approach from the start? Saints managed a point, but fans were subjected to the same boring sideways passing, and pedestrian build up play. If ever a player looked to attack at pace on the counter, support wouldn’t be forthcoming and yet another attack would break down without testing the keeper.

Southampton have had one convincing victory all season – the 4-1 dismantling of an Everton side in disarray. The other wins? A 93rd minute penalty against West Ham, a late Boufal wondergoal against West Brom, and a 1-0 victory against a Palace side who hadn’t accrued a point or scored a goal all season.

Players such as Romeu, Davis, Redmond and Tadic, mainstays of the side under previous managers, have regressed worryingly. Meanwhile, bright young players such as Hesketh, Sims and Valery have played no football – all the more frustrating as the former is showing his class in the u23s, whilst Cedric’s injury presented an opportunity to blood the latter in the FA Cup. Instead, Pellegrino shoehorned CB Bednarek in at RB.

We have played 5 matches against newly promoted teams – these have yielded just 5 points. Combine that with home losses to Watford, Palace and Burnley, and the fact we’ve accrued just 7 points since the beginning of November – it’s not hard to see why Southampton have slipped to 19th in the Premier League.

The reality is the axe should have been wielded months ago. The board however have not only refused to sack Pellegrino, but have reaffirmed their belief in him by sanctioning the £19m signing of ‘his man’ Carrillo.

A repeat of 2004/05 on the cards?

Moving on to Saturday – a visit to the Hawthorns represents a must win for Southampton Football Club, taking its place in the orderly queue of must win fixtures they have failed to win over the last few months.

Many Saints fans woke up this morning hoping to met with the news of Pellegrino’s dismissal. I was amongst them. I long for us to replace the manager with an attack-minded coach who can get the fans on the edge of their seats again, and get the team playing once again with the tempo of a Pochettino side.

I have no doubt the squad possesses significant quality – Manuel Pellegrino just seems to be showing us that managerial deficiencies can steer a talented squad to relegation all on their own.

Where’s the excitement, Saints?

Seven points in the last 4 league games, into the EFL Cup Semi-Final: it’s hardly a disaster. In fact, at this point last season, Saints has recorded exactly the same results – 5 wins, 6 draws and 5 losses – but had failed to reach the Europa League group stages and were no longer competing for the League Cup. Perhaps I’m getting greedy – Claude Puel’s made an encouraging start at Saints, giving opportunities to our star youth players and turning us into a very tough unit to break down – but the last few weeks have left a sour taste in my mouth, the likes of which I’ve not experienced in a long time.

Even had Saints managed to scramble in a late winner at Stoke City last night, the feeling would have been the same: boredom.

Gone are the days of lightning quick counter attacks through Mané, Lallana, or even pre-injury Rodriguez. Saints now have a propensity to pass backwards or sideways – it’s not exciting to watch and, as proved by our tally of just 4 goals in the last 8 league games, it’s simply not working. It’s so frustrating to see Nathan Redmond, a player blessed with pace and trickery in abundance, charging forward at a rate of knots only to cut back and allow the defender to recover his poise and make the tackle.

Alarming lack of goals

Rodriguez and Long’s struggles in front of goal are clear for all to see. The former hasn’t netted in the league since August, whilst the latter’s barren run stretches back 20 games now. Charlie Austin’s dislocated shoulder will keep him out until February at the earliest – it’s hard to see where the goals will come from.

Solving the goal-scoring woes

Despite missing two golden chances in the last two games, Rodriguez is starting to get in the right positions which I think is encouraging. I can’t help but feel both are one goal away from finding form – confidence in so vital for a striker, and they must have very little indeed.

I also would be pleased to see youth given a chance at Saints. Young strikers Olomola and Barnes are impressing in the U-23s, whilst Sam Gallagher’s brace last night took his tally with Blackburn to 9 this season. Could he be our Harry Kane?

Creativity and forward thinking is also needed from the midfield. Boufal has looked scintillating at times – against both Sunderland and Middlesbrough he proved he can create something from nothing, scoring spectacular goals and lighting up two dull encounters.

It’s the deeper midfielders who need to offer more though. Of the centre midfielders, only James Ward-Prowse has scored a single League goal this season. Clasie, Romeu, Davis and Højbjerg have yet to find the net and this is something Puel has already stated needs changing.

With the system we play, three of the above are always deployed in the centre of the park. We need to start seeing at least one of them offer a stronger goal-scoring threat to ease the burden on our goal-shy strikeforce.

This offensive mindset needs to stretch to the creation of chances too. It’s never easy to break down a side with 10 men behind the ball, but against Stoke last night (Rodriguez’ glaring miss aside) we just seemed to create almost nothing for our strikers to bury. The buck doesn’t stop with creative outlets like Boufal and Tadic – we need the whole team to come together and address this lack of goals.

Saints do have a huge amount of quality, and this season is far from disappointing – let’s rediscover the scoring touch though and give the fans something to cheer about again.

The Future’s Red and White?

“Will the last one out please turn out the light?” – Summer 2014 was Southampton’s inaugural meltdown. Lallana, Lambert, Lovren, Chambers, Shaw and Pochettino left the club, many fans felt the glass ceiling had been reached and the club had begun to strip its most prized assets before our disinterested owner sold the club to the highest bidder. Two comparable summers later, players and managers still queue up for their big-money moves – Schneiderlin, Wanyama, Mané, Pelle, Clyne and Koeman have departed – yet we are seeing comparatively little of the accompanying negativity. This is because, despite having been gutted by the ‘big clubs’ we’ve achieved consecutive highest league finishes and points totals, will once more take our place in the Europa League this season, and are tying our key players to long-term contracts. Let’s look ahead to the coming season and see whether we can deliver another record breaking campaign.

Contracts

Towards the end of last season, a spate of key players signed long-term contracts with the club, highlighting their belief in the ambition and potential of Southampton football club. Signing on the dotted line were Fraser Forster, Virgil van Dijk, James Ward-Prowse, Ryan Bertrand and Steven Davies. Forster’s value to the club cannot be underestimated – the defence look so settled in front of him and, despite his questionable new hair style, signing the big man on for 5 more years can only be a good thing. Van Dijk is quite simply the best defender I’ve seen in the red and white stripes. Composed, skilful, strong in the air and with an eye for goal – he’s worth his weight in gold to this club. Ward-Prowse needs to step up this season. His talent is undoubtable, but for too long already he’s been the nearly man. It’s hard to believe he’s still only 21, but this is a key season for the midfielder. Bertrand and Davis are ever-present, both rarely having poor games, and are integral to the way the side plays. It’s vitally important that we’ve signed them up for the long term – we saw what happened this and last summer when Clyne and Wanyama departed for a fraction of their real value after letting their contracts run down.

New Manager

I’m not the only Saints fan who knew little about our new manager when he arrived at the club. While I was clamouring for the appointment of Pellegrini, the understated Frenchman checked in at Staplewood, starting his work and impressing the players with his knowledge and experience from the off. While his experience may be limited to French football, his achievements at Nice last season were impressive, and his record of working with young players suits the club down to a tee. I have high hopes for Claude Puel – after all, who am I to question his appointment by a board whose managerial appointments have been excellent from the word go?

The Revolving Door

Continuing the model of previous summers, Liverpool have paid stupid money to prize one our most prized assets away from the club. There’s no doubting Sadio Mané’s talent – I have no doubt he will become one of the best in the league . . . in time. Victor Wanyama meanwhile is, I think, eminently replaceable. He’s a very talented player, but his indiscipline and attitude problems cost the team dearly last season. I wish both well at their new clubs. I can’t bring myself to extend that sentiment to Ronald Koeman though. I  thought the Dutchman had principles and I found his honesty refreshing – he’s chosen money over loyalty, directly contradicting his reassurances to Saints fans. I hope he struggles at Everton and realises the grass certainly wasn’t greener in Merseyside.

The new arrivals are encouraging – Redmond and Højbjerg are young with massive potential. Redmond arrives with Premier League, Europa League and England U21 experience – he is direct, skilful and pacey. Perhaps not a direct replacement for Mané, but he’s already proving in preseason that he has all the tools to make a big impact this season.

It’s Pierre-Emile Højbjerg’s arrival though that’s really exciting. Once considered “the Sergio Busquets of Bayern”, the young midfielder’s career may have stalled a little of late, but he’s still only 20 and is still has bags of potential. It might be a little hasty to say a readymade Schneiderlin replacement has arrived at the club, but I expect a strong season from the Dane who oozes class on the ball and can pick a pass. Saints now have an abundance of options in midfield with Clasie, Davies, Ward-Prowse, Romeu and Reed jostling with him for a starting berth in the centre of the park.

If Saints can bring in another attacker to complement the lethal, but injury-prone strike force of Austin & Rodriguez – Christian Tello has been linked – and a goalkeeper as back up to Fraser Forster (Alex McCarthy?), we will be well positioned to turn heads once more in the most competitive league in the world. If Charlie Austin can leave those injury problems behind him, I’m predicting big things for the striker this year. He has a lethal finish, has produced the goods at QPR already, and Southampton boast numerous providers from whom Austin can profit.

Importantly, the attitudes of Wanyama, Koeman, and to a lesser extent Mané are out the door, perhaps giving rise to a team that plays as more of a unit – we all saw how far Leicester’s inexorable team bond took them last season. Could we see the same down on the South Coast this year?

And finally . . . who doesn’t like to stick their neck out?

1. Chelsea
2. Man Utd
3. Man City
4. Arsenal
5. Liverpool
6. Tottenham
7. Leicester
8. Saints
9. West Ham
10. Everton
11. Stoke
12. Watford
13. Crystal Palace
14. Bournemouth
15. Middlesborough
16. Swansea
17. Sunderland
18. West Brom
19. Burnley
20. Hull

 

A Defining Summer For Southampton…

Consecutive victories against Man City and Tottenham not only ensure Southampton have now equalled last season’s record Premier League points tally, but see Saints leapfrog Spurs to sit second in terms of points accrued since New Year. This exceptional form means dreams of another European campaign are becoming more realistic by the day; if West Ham and Liverpool lose their midweek fixtures in the coming days, 6th place would be ensured with a final day win against Crystal Palace. How Ronald Koeman has once again delivered a season of such success is beyond me – in a season where Leicester have defied all reason in winning the title, it’s easy to forget that Koeman again had the core of his squad ravaged by the league’s big spenders, losing Clyne, Schneiderlin and Alderweireld (not to mentional Mayuka!)

Since the dramatic ‘Meltdown’ two summers ago, Southampton have been known as a club that buys cheaply, develops and then sells players for a fortune. Granted, this is a fantastic business model, but the relatively low glass-ceiling this creates means there are a few murmurs of discontent amongst fans. Leicester’s success this year however, has shown what the smaller clubs can achieve, all without breaking the bank. As successful as this season has been for Southampton, were it not for the disastrous Christmas slump, who knows what the team could have achieved?

Saturday’s news that Virgil Van Dijk, just 8 months into his initial 5 year deal, has signed a new 6 year contract, is music to my ears. The ball playing Dutch centre back has been integral to the way Southampton have played this season: indomitable in the air, effortlessly launching 60 yard passes to feet and with an eye for goal, it was always vital Saints kept hold of him this summer. Of course there’ll be envious glances – Van Dijk and Toby Alderweireld are the best two centre backs in the Premier League in my opinion – but this new contract both reaffirms Virgil’s commitment to the club, and confirms the clubs intent to hold onto its best players.

Convincing Ronald Koeman to sign an extension to the contract that keeps him at St Mary’s until summer 2017 will be the next target for the board. Koeman has assured fans that talks will take place when the season ends – in truth, I expect him to honour the remaining year on his contract and then move on to the big leagues (Barcelona/Dutch national team – both roles RK has expressed an interest in one day taking). If he signs a contract extension, wonderful: he’s building something exceptional at the club, has the reputation to draw talented players to the club and has such refreshing honesty and integrity.

Finally, Saints must ensure big-name players Sadio Mané and Victor Wanyama ignore attention from elsewhere, realise the grass isn’t always greener (ahem, Chambers, Schneiderlin, Lovren and perhaps even Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain . . . maybe not Bale!) and commit to a club which could take the Premier League by storm next season. Make no bones about it, this summer is a defining one for Southampton: do Saints want to again sell their prized assets, or will they sit up and realise that, with moderate investment in a few key areas they could just be next season’s Leicester City?

A glimpse of the future…

It’s March 2017 and another Premier League season is winding to a close. 10 games remain, and there is still everything to play for. Last season, Leicester City thrilled the British public, delivering the league title that completed their fairytale and conceived the hashtag #GetDressedGary when the former England striker revealed his weary physique on the first Match of the Day of this season, as promised. A final day defeat to Chelsea wasn’t enough to derail the Foxes’ dream as Spurs slipped to 4 defeats in their final 7 games, and Arsenal had too much ground to recover.

After holding onto the likes of Vardy, Mahrez and Schmeichel in the summer, much was expected this season of Leicester – another title challenge, perhaps a fearless charge into the latter stages of the European Cup – sadly the Foxes have struggled, falling back into mid-table, and failing to progress from a testing Champions League group.

The table-toppers are a rejuvenated Chelsea under the stewardship of Antonio Conte, and snapping at their heels in second are Wengerless Arsenal, reaping the benefits of summer-signing Lukaku’s goals. Sitting in third are Manchester City, with Pep Guardiola finding out that this management lark isn’t quite so easy when you’re not installed as manager of by far and away the best team in Europe. Fighting it out for the final Champions League spot are Spurs, Liverpool, Manchester Utd, and this season’s surprise package Stoke City who have again dipped impressively into the transfer market.

Down at the bottom, Burnley’s season mimics their last in the Premier League – an encouraging start, followed by a slow decline, and they now find themselves in 18th and firmly entrenched in the relegation scrap. Watford have struggled with second season syndrome, the departure of Quique Sánchez Flores, and star striker Odion Ighalo hardly helping, and are languishing in 19th. Cut adrift at the bottom are Brighton. They surprised many with their promotion via the play offs last season, but didn’t sufficiently strengthen in the summer and now look to be paying the price. Newcastle, after their miraculous Benitez-inspired escape last season, hover perilously above the drop zone once again, and fans are starting to question the Spaniard’s commitment to another battle at the wrong end of the table.

On the international stage, England have made a promising start to their World Cup Qualification campaign, and are undefeated thus far. The team limped to the Euro 2016 semi finals, profiting from numerous injuries to key opposition players, and the FA has rewarded Hodgson for this fluke with a new 5 year contract. Rooney is still captain. Andros Townsend is still in the squad. Wembley attendances are at an all time low as England fans become increasingly disillusioned with the banal variety of football Hodgson promotes.

DISCLAIMER: the above will clearly be entirely wrong . . . We all know that, in fact, Southampton will be runaway league leaders in March next season, and Koeman will deliver the dream in his final season before becoming manager of Barcelona.