Southampton: Marching In Or Crumbling? The Dreaded Second Season

2012/2013: 14th

Transfer(s) In: Dejan Lovren (Lyon, £8.5 Million), Victor Wanyama (Celtic, £12.5 Million), Pablo Osvaldo (AS Roma, £15 Million)

Transfer(s) Out: Steve De Ridder, Richard Chaplow (Released), Jason Puncheon (Crystal Palace, Loan)

Transfers Review:

                                                   Southampton have opted to stay with the core squad that put them safely into mid-table last campaign, choosing to add only 2 higher value players to their roster. In Dejan Lovren, they have added a highly capable central defender, whose pace, strength and technical abilites are all outstanding. He can certainly be the rock that Southampton lacked at the back for times last season. Further forward, Southampton's addition of Victor Wanyama, is, in my opinion, about the most perfect buy they could have made for their side. Full of energy, passing and great vision, the youngster has phenomenal potential, and despite being tracked by Liverpool, Manchester United and a host of other clubs, Southampton have done exceptionally well to persuade the Kenyan to move to St Mary's. More recently, the Saints have shattered their transfer record for a second time this summer, managing to secure striker Pablo Osvaldo from AS Roma for a reported £15 Million. The Italian is a proven goalscorer, and will bring his strength and ability in the air to the South Coast, where I am convinced he will be a success.

                                                     The fact that they have kept hold of other critical players, such as Gaston Ramirez, Rickie Lambert and Luke Shaw, means that they can afford to move for just a couple of higher ticket players in a transfer window. Keeping those big names is also important, as they all played a big role in the Saints' return to the Premier League.

Pre-Season:

                                                      Southampton's pre-season has been fairly ineventful, with only the one pre-season game of note. But at least it everything, to prepare the Saints for every eventuality that they may face in the Premier League. The Saints took the lead after just 7 minutes, with Lallana latching onto a Lambert through ball to finish neatly. They dominated the early stages, but a defensive error from the Saints rear guard meant that it was Sociedad who scored the leveller, with Elustondo the recipiant. Back came Southampton, with Wanyama threading a pass into Schneiderlin to finish well and give the Saints the lead back. But once again they let it slip, in a thrilling opening half hour. Just five minutes after falling behind, Carlos Vela beautifully controlled a through ball and fired beyond the despairing keeper to put the game back to level terms. Even then, the first half scoring wasn't complete. A Southampton corner on half time yielded the fifth goal, with Jos Hooiveld climbing highest to nod home.

                                                     The tempo didn't let up in the second half, causing an open and attractive game. With Southampton leading, the onus was on the Spaniards to come out and attack, and push forward they did. Once again, the Southampton defence seemed incapable to resist, conceding a third goal on the hour mark, as Haris Seferovic fired home to level for the third time. The longer the game went on it seemed inevitable that it would end a draw, but that all changed in the 83rd minute. Jason Puncheon found himself free in the box after a nice move, and he drove the ball home to hand the Saints an excellent and morale-boosting 4-3 victory. The only worries from a Southampton point of view were the injuries sustained to Nathaniel Clyne and Luke Shaw, the latter potentially ruling the young left back out of the early part of the new Premier League season.

Key Players:

                                                      It may well be his last season at the top level, but I still believe that Rickie Lambert has much to give the Saints again this campaign. Having the honour of scoring at all four league levels, the Scouser has found his true home in the Premier League. His power in the air and on the ground makes him an exceptional number 9, even getting him a call up to the England squad for the game last night against Scotland. The goal with his first touch shows that his form is not on the decline, and he can go for a couple of years yet!

                                                        Captain Alan Lallana is also a vital part of the squad on the south coast. Despite his lack of years, he has proven himself to be a superb leader, both on and off the field, and often chips in with valuable goals from midfield. His organisation and motivational skills means that Southampton miss his presence massively when unavailable, and his staying fit aids their push up the table.

Key Fixture Dates:

24/08/2013: Southampton vs Sunderland
15/09/2013: Southampton vs West Ham United
26/10/2013: Southampton vs Fulham
03/12/2013: Southampton vs Aston Villa
14/12/2013: Newcastle vs Southampton
18/01/2014: Sunderland vs Southampton
01/02/2014: Fulham vs Southampton
22/02/2014: West Ham United vs Southampton
29/03/2014: Southampton vs Newcastle
19/04/2014: Aston Villa vs Southampton

Top Goalscorer:

                                                       Whilst Rickie Lambert is crucial to the success of the Southampton side, I actually believe that this is going to be the season where we see Jay Rodriguez come of age. The ex-Burnley man found it difficult initially to acclimatise to life in the Premier League, meaning that he recieved only a handful of appearances, and even less goals in the first half of last season. However, as time continued, the Englishman eventually broke into the Saints side, and I feel that improvement will only continue in the months to come. He may not score more than 10, but I still think that will be enough for the accolade.

Prediction:

                                                          As much as the signings that Southampton have made are good, and the manager Mauricio Pochettino is a promising talent, we have seen the curse of the Second Season Syndrome come back and bite teams. Even last year, QPR fell to the same curse, and I expect Southampton to be the side that feels its effects this time around. Whilst I think they have the squad to resist the dreaded drop, I sense that this will be a season of consolidation and damage-limitation rather than pushing for a top-10 place.

Southampton 2013/2014: 15th

Aston Villa: Time For The Kids To Grow Up

2012/2013: 15th

Player(s) In: Jed Steer (Norwich City, Free), Antonio Luna (Sevilla, Undisc), Nicklas Helenius (Aalborg BK, Undisc), Jores Okore (FC Nordsjaelland, Undisc), Leandro Bacuna (FC Groningen, Undisc), Aleksandar Tonev (Lech Poznan, Undisc), Libor Kozak (Lazio, £5 Million)

Player(s) Out: Stilian Petrov (Retired), Richard Dunne (QPR, Free), Jean Makoun (Stade Rennais, Undisc), Eric Lichaj (Nottingham Forest, Free), Brett Holman (Released), Darren Bent (Fulham, Loan)

Transfers Review:

                              Comparing the completed transfers to those predicted in my Aston Villa season review post a couple of months ago, we can see that Villa have been far more successful in the transfer window than the papers thought they would. They have also got rid of far more players than initially assumed. In terms of whether they have filled the positions I thought they required, whilst they have bought a central midfielder to replace the retired Stilian Petrov, in Leandro Bacuna, he remains a youngster, meaning that ability may have been brought in, but experience certainly has not. This is certainly something that I feel is needed for Villa to exceed their objectives this season.

                                This lack of experience is illustrated further when we look at the Villains' other recruits. Not a single one older than 24 years old, and covering positions all over the field, Paul Lambert has sent another signal of intent over his transfer policy. He has also let go of several of his most experienced squad members, with Richard Dunne, Jean Makoun and Stilian Petrov all absent from Villa's ranks this campaign. I do worry about the resilience of this Villa side, as less experienced players tend to allow one defeat to turn into four, and we often see more fledgling sides towards the lower end of the Premier League table.

                                 However, Villa's best piece of business this campaign has not been any of their acquisitions. Keeping hold of 20-goal Christian Benteke is undoubtedly the highlight of Lambert's summer. The big Belgian looked destined for a larger club, with both Spurs and Liverpool seen as potential suitors, but after crisis talks with Lambert, he was persuaded to sign a contract extension and stay at Villa. After his outstanding performances last campaign, I am certain every Aston Villa fan will be delighted at that news.

Pre-Season:

                                 Villa's pre-season form has been patchy, with Lambert attempting to give many of his younger players a test. As with last season, youth appears to be the way forward for Aston Villa, with Lambert entrusting his younger players with positions of great responsibility. In their early pre-season friendlies, the mix of new players and inexperience left Villa with only a draw and a defeat to show for it. A 2-2 draw against Wycombe Wanderers was followed by a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Luton Town. As the season moved closer, August's friendlies produced more positive results. An expected victory against Irish champions Shamrock Rovers was followed by a testing tie at home to Champions League quarter-finalists Malaga.

                                    In their final warm-up game before the start of the Premier League, Villa were certainly at the races. In-form Benteke opened the scoring after 12 minutes, before experienced centre-back Ron Vlaar beat Malaga keeper Caballero with a bullet-header from a corner. Benteke seemingly put the game beyond doubt on the half hour, when he won and converted a penalty, taking his personal total to 7 goals in 5 games. Villa 3-0 up and crusing. Their sense of ease did not last long, as firstly new boy Jores Okore miscued a clearance into his own net, before Sergi Darder added a second to make the last few minutes decidedly nervous. But the Villains held on to give themselves a morale-boosting win going into their opening league game at Arsenal next week.

Key Players:

                                      Villa's determination to keep hold of this player over the summer means that there can only be one to watch out for at Villa Park this season: Christian Benteke. After a stunning breakthrough season last time out, the big Belgian will be looking to solidify his reputation in English football, and push Villa away from the drop as a consequence. His goals last time around certainly ensured that the Villains would not be playing Championship football in 2013/14, and all of his pace, power and accuracy will be needed to ensure that Aston Villa finish higher than last year. Villa could perhaps be accused of being a one-man team, as without him they often looked toothless in attack. Lambert will be hoping for as few injuries as possible to his star man, as the replacement is inexperienced in the Premier League.

Key Fixture Dates:
(Based on who I believe are their main rivals this year)

14/09/2013: Aston Villa vs Newcastle
02/11/2013: West Ham United vs Aston Villa
30/11/2013: Aston Villa vs Sunderland
03/12/2013: Southampton vs Aston Villa
07/12/2013: Fulham vs Aston Villa
01/01/2014: Sunderland vs Aston Villa
08/02/2014: Aston Villa vs West Ham United
22/02/2014: Newcastle vs Aston Villa
05/04/2014: Aston Villa vs Fulham
19/04/2014: Aston Villa vs Southampton

Top Goalscorer:

                                         Once again, a simple choice, with the powerful Benteke bearing a large burden on his shoulders for Aston Villa. Excluding a serious injury, I cannot see any other Villa player coming close to scoring the number of goals Benteke does this campaign. The only worry for Villa will be whether they can provide enough service so that the Belgian extends his fantastic scoring run, and betters last season's total.

Prediction:

                                          Aston Villa's initial objective will be to avoid relegation this season, but with the quality in the squad I think they have the potential to progress higher than that. Dependant on the fitness of Benteke, and the progression of many of the youngsters and new signings at the club, the fringes of the top half is about the best Villa can expect from this season. My only concern is that the inexperience rife in the Villa ranks could cause mistakes like the ones we saw from Carl Baker against Reading last year. Experienced players would help settle their younger counterparts down, but the Villa squad doesn't really possess many. For that reason, a top lower half finish is my best guess.

Aston Villa 2013/2014: 12th

Aston Villa: Youngsters Back From The Brink

2012/2013 Season Review:

                With the departure of the largely unpopular Alex McLeish at the end of the previous year, and the arrival of new boss Paul Lambert from Norwich, Villa started the season in positive, albeit nervous mood. With a number of unproven recruits from the lower leagues of English football, and a big Belgian by the name of Christian Benteke, Villa started the season rather worryingly, accruing only one point from their opening three matches. This inconsistent form continued, and whilst Villa did have highs, such as the victory in the Capital One Cup at the Etihad over Manchester City, who had previously gone unbeaten there for the best part of two years, the opening part of the season was one largely of frustration for the Villa fans.

                Of particular frustration for Villa fans at the beginning of the season was Paul Lambert’s seemingly nonsensical decision to leave Darren Bent, a proven Premier League goalscorer on the sidelines for the new signing Benteke. Lambert’s philosophy was clearly one of bringing the youngsters to the fore, and slowly phasing out the old guard. Players such as Carl Baker, Matt Lowton, Fabien Delph, Andreas Weimann and Benteke all received the opportunity to prove themselves on the big stage. For the majority of the season, it appeared as though this decision would backfire on the manager, as his side rarely escaped the clutches of the bottom three throughout most of 2012. Whilst performances were generally impressive, such as the 2-3 defeat at home to Manchester United in November, the lack of experience often led to mistakes, which inevitably cost the Villains points.

                However, as the season progressed, one player began to stand out. Christian Benteke’s power, touch and goalscoring ability soon vindicated Lambert’s decision to leave Darren Bent out. Benteke announced himself on the Premier League stage during the 3-1 victory at Anfield. Two goals, and an outrageous backheel to create the third illustrated exactly why Lambert spent £7 million on him from Genk in the summer. After the euphoria of the Anfield win, typically Villa were brought back to earth with a bump, being hammered in their next outing 8-0 at Stamford Bridge. An appalling run of form during January saw Villa slip into the bottom three once again, battling for survival became their primary aim. A shame after the early season enthusiasm, but foreseeable with the lack of experience at their disposal. No win in 7 League games, coupled with a shambolic exit in the Capital One Cup Semi Final to Bradford over two legs, and a poor defeat to Millwall in the FA Cup Fourth Round, extinguished all hope of a trophy, and placed their survival hopes in the balance.

                The beginning of March saw a dramatic upturn in form and results, as Villa began to believe they could escape trouble. Roared on by the 12^th man in the Holt End at Villa Park, Villa narrowly lost to Man City, but then proceeded to earn back to back victories against two relegation rivals in Reading and QPR. An incredibly valuable time to earn the first back to back victories of the season. These results put Villa on the cusp of escaping relegation. Two further relegation ‘six-pointers’ were to occur before what seemed the inevitable relegation playoff between Wigan and Villa at the DW Stadium on the final day. Firstly, a trip to the Britannia to face Stoke. An outstanding performance that once again threatened to produce only one point instead of three until the 86^th minute. Then, step forward Matthew Lowton, with an absolute stunner from 30 yards into the top corner, to leave the Villa fans dreaming of survival. Even more astonishing was Villa’s 6-1 demolition of Paolo di Canio’s in form Sunderland. A result no-one saw coming, and one that practically guaranteed Villa’s place in the Premier League for next season, rendering the ‘last day showdown’ with Wigan irrelevant.

                Aston Villa, considering the lack of experience within their ranks, have performed well to escape relegation. Having watched them several times this season, they have never produced performances worthy of going down. They have lacked luck and experience, something which Paul Lambert may need to address. However, they showed signs towards the end of the season that they were beginning to gel, something which bodes well for the next campaign.

 

Player of the Season: Christian Benteke – The big Belgian has been a revelation at Villa Park this year. His goals have almost single-handedly got Villa out of trouble and his bullishness and strength on the ball have earned him many plaudits at home and abroad. That £7 million is looking a snip now!

 

Game of the Season: Aston Villa 6-1 Sunderland – Undoubtedly the most unbelievable result and performance from the Villa players, arguably the culmination of all of Lambert’s hard work to gel such an inexperienced team. Headed by hat-trick hero Benteke, this is the Villa side the claret and blue army from Birmingham want to see more of next season.

 

Summer Transfer Targets (Who I Think They Need): Keeping hold of Benteke is an absolute must for the Villians, as they appear resigned to lose Darren Bent this summer, after several months of bench-warming duty. A little more steel and experience in the midfield would be useful, in order to replace the retiring Stilian Petrov, who has served the club admirably, and on a personal note, it was wonderful to see the club and the fans honour him with the minutes applause every home game. In terms of signings, perhaps someone like Wigan’s James McCarthy, or Stoke’s Dean Whitehead to sure up the midfield. Other than that, the progression of the youngsters should allow Lambert to challenge for a top 10 berth next year.

 

Transfer Gossip Links:

In:

Dwight Gayle (Peterborough, CM)

 

Out:

Darren Bent (Fulham, ST), Christian Benteke (Arsenal, Liverpool, Juventus, ST)