Can Southampton class their start to the season as successful? In truth, it’s been hard to know what to make of it thus far. Their premature exit from the Europa League was a big disappointment on the south coast and while their only defeat in the Premier League has come to Everton, they have still only managed one win from their opening five fixtures.
Perhaps some insight into what kind of season it has been for Ronald Koeman’s men can be taken from their league position, which sees them languish between Liverpool and Tottenham in 11th place.
This, after all, was a side that defied all the odds of being labelled dead certs for relegation to finish with their highest ever points tally (60) in the Premier League last season.
After having his squad ripped to pieces by their rivals, Koeman not only safely negated the threat of relegation, but he impressively managed to guide Saints into the Europa League. The exodus that summer included six first-team players leaving for Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal at the fine tune of more than £80m.
This summer was much quieter at St. Mary’s with just Nathaniel Clyne and Morgan Schneiderlin moving on, yet it is the absence of the latter that has caused problems where previous departures seemingly have not.
Schneiderlin isn’t the typically flamboyant French footballer you would expect. In fact, the 25-year-old is simply a very tidy player who has proven to be extremely effective at breaking down opposition attacks. The Frenchman’s statistically calculated style of play of ‘likes to tackle’ is a facet that Southampton have missed, and it has been his departure that has hit the hardest as a result.
After all, this is a player that has completed at least 137 more tackles and interceptions combined than any other individual since the start of the 2012/13 Premier League campaign (658) and left as Southampton’s highest WhoScored rated player by some distance last term (7.51).
And now, just as Saints may have felt they had rode the crest of the wave that has disrupted their start to their season, they will be reminded of Schneiderlin’s talents when they host Manchester United on Sunday.
It would be harsh to suggest Southampton’s somewhat troubled start is down to a lack of planning. Jordy Clasie was signed from Feyenoord for £8m as Schneiderlin’s replacement, but Koeman hasn’t even been able to get the Dutch midfielder near a Premier League football pitch after injuries have dogged the start of his career in England.
The Southampton manager was also proactive in bringing Oriol Romeu to the club from Chelsea when it became clear Clasie’s injury problems were worse than expected. However, he hasn’t yet proven to be as diligent in defence, accentuated by his only statistically calculated weakness of ‘concentration’, and Koeman has instead preferred to partner Steven Davis with Wanyama more often that not.
With Victor Wanyama and Schneiderlin working in tandem to shield Southampton’s back four, only two teams averaged more tackles per game than Koeman’s men in England’s top-flight last season (21.4).
While you may suggest such a feat cannot be attributed to the work of just two players, it is notable that both men ranked in Southampton’s top three for tackles won (93 and 96 respectively) during this period – figures that also put them inside the top 15 when you widen the sample size to consider the rest of the league.
However, in Schneiderlin’s absence, only Swansea (14.6) and Manchester City (14.8) are averaging fewer tackles per game than Koeman’s men (15.8) so far this season and you’d have to look outside the top 30 players to find Southampton’s best tackler (Cedric Soares - 13).
While the notable drop in tackles has so far been offset by an increase in the amount of interceptions Southampton are making per game (21.6), their average has largely been helped by their 2-2 draw with Newcastle, which saw them make 34 interceptions in 90 minutes. To put that figure into perspective, only on two occasions in the last three years have a side completed more interceptions in a Premier League fixture.
Moreover, the early readings from the opening five games of the season would also suggest their has been a significant decline in their physical approach to matches. Compared to the last campaign, which saw just two sides make more fouls than Southampton per game (12.3), Koeman’s men have now dropped into the bottom three for the same category this season (8.6).
Three clean sheets on the bounce would suggest Southampton are on the right path to filling the glaring void left by Schneiderlin, but it has become noticeable that Koeman’s emphasis on fixing the underlying issues in midfield has come at a cost. Their ability to put the ball in the back of the net has been compromised somewhat, failing to score in three of their five league matches this season.
Koeman’s decision to use Davis as a deep-lying holding midfield position may be the cause to some of the problems and turning to Romeu could relinquish some of the pressure on Wanyama’s shoulders, helping him become more of a force going forward like he was at times last season.
While Davis’ performances have perhaps been better than Wanyama’s this season it’s the Kenyan who has the ability to really dominate games and finding a solution to his funk should give Southampton’s attack greater depth. Last season no player to have attempted at least 30 dribbles across Europe’s top five leagues had greater success than Wanyama (92.5%), yet this season he is only succeeding with 40% of his dribbles, burdened by extra defensive duties when partnered with Davis.
In answer to the question first posed in this piece, maybe the solution lies in waiting for Sunday’s fixture, where a win over United could propel them back into early European contention. Alternatively, they could just be reminded exactly what they are missing from their midfield when Schneiderlin returns to the south coast.
Can Southampton find an answer to their midfield problems? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
