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After selling the club captain and second top scorer of last season, Southampton was viewed as a team you should fear for. People within football claimed they wouldn’t be surprised if <a href="worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2014/09/19/southamptons-august-september-progress-report/">Southampton</a> weren’t able to survive this Premiership season but with only one defeat so far this season and recently defeating Arsenal in the Capital One Cup, should Southampton be viewed as a team you should be fearful of?
The story of Southampton this season is a widely known and eventful one, losing their manager to Tottenham hotspurs, selling three players to Liverpool (Rickie Lambert, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/2014/09/25/adam-lallana-ready-to-make-his-mark-for-liverpool/">Adam Lallana</a>, Dejan Lovren) and with Manchester United 27 million pounds on teenager Luke Shaw they were looking like a team with no depth, no quality and no hope. The club’s outgoings came to a total of 88 million pounds returned to the club, so with a wide sum of money and the whole summer being given to new manager Ronald Koeman, he was given what seemed the impossible take to replace great players with similar quality.
Koeman formally of Dutch side Feyenoord decided to scout the Dutch league he had been accustomed to and purchased Duscan Tadic of FC Twente and Graziano Pelle of his former side Feyenoord. He spent a combined total of 18.9 million pounds, which was seen as a large sum of money for a team like Southampton.
The money continued going out for Southampton with goalkeeper Fraser Forster, Shane Long and Sadio Mane being purchased for over 10 million pound each. Southampton spent a total of 56.7 million pounds with also Toby Alderweireld and Ryan Bertrand coming in on loan to try and reinvest on what was a very different Southampton.
First game of the season saw Southampton play against Liverpool away from home, they lost the game 2-1 but could be argued that they played the better of the two sides and were very unlucky not to get something at Anfield. They’ve gone on to draw one and win three games, bettering the first five games of last season by two points. They’ve also scored more goals (nine goals) than last season (four goals), so with the fantastic start to the season can Southampton be seen as a team to push for the top spots?
To compare the top four of last season (Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal) first five games and Southampton’s current campaign to see if their start is similar to the teams which ended in those exclusive four positions:
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="90">Team</td>
<td width="33">Won</td>
<td width="41">Drawn</td>
<td width="30">Lost</td>
<td width="55">Goals For</td>
<td width="76">Goals against</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="90">Manchester City</td>
<td width="33">3</td>
<td width="41">1</td>
<td width="30">1</td>
<td width="55">12</td>
<td width="76">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="90">Liverpool</td>
<td width="33">3</td>
<td width="41">1</td>
<td width="30">1</td>
<td width="55">5</td>
<td width="76">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="90">Chelsea</td>
<td width="33">3</td>
<td width="41">1</td>
<td width="30">1</td>
<td width="55">6</td>
<td width="76">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="90">Arsenal</td>
<td width="33">4</td>
<td width="41">0</td>
<td width="30">1</td>
<td width="55">11</td>
<td width="76">6</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="90">Southampton</td>
<td width="33">3</td>
<td width="41">1</td>
<td width="30">1</td>
<td width="55">9</td>
<td width="76">4</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
As you can see the way Southampton has started is very similar to the top four of last year – a sign of things to come?
Koeman is a very experienced manager – having coached in four countries his pedigree could be vital for the Saints. Somewhat of an underdog similar to Southampton, he has never been given the full praise he deserves and will be looking to show his credentials in a team which was dismantled. With 10 players being sold last season (with a further seven players being loaned out) and seven players being brought in, the early success could be down to a new manager able to bring his way of coaching straight into what is a new Southampton side. If they had kept the players of last term and had Koeman came in, it could have been difficult to adjust to what was already a settled side.
The key for Southampton this year is to avoid injuries – James Ward-Prowse has recently been sidelined for 10 weeks, is a massive loss as he has been a key part to Southampton’s early success. With so many players leaving the club, the squad will be very thin. Injuries to first team players will cause problems as they don’t have adequate depth to rotate the team.
Claiming Southampton to fight for the top four may just be out of their reach, but sitting second in the league is a great platform to work with. If Koeman can keep the players fresh and the results keep coming, then perhaps a fairytale is in the making.

Southampton Capable Of Springing A Surprise And Competing With The Big Guns

Southampton Capable Of Springing A Surprise And Competing With The Big Guns - World Soccer Talk

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The more I look at it, the more I like the move by <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2014/06/02/liverpool-announce-signing-of-rickie-lambert-watch-his-first-interview-as-a-liverpool-footballer/">Liverpool to acquire striker Rickie Lambert from Southampton</a>.
“I’ve seen Rickie Lambert over the years and he’s one of those players that probably never got the recognition for what a really good footballer he is,” Liverpool manager <a href="http:\/\/www1.skysports.com/football/news/11669/9335147/transfer-news-liverpool-sign-southampton-striker-rickie-lambert" target="_blank">Brendan Rodgers told Sky Sports News</a>. “It’s only late on in his career … that people are really starting to focus on his qualities. He was probably seen as the traditional big number nine, a British striker that is good in the air. But he’s one of the most accomplished footballers I’ve seen.”
A one time member of Liverpool’s youth team, Lambert is looking forward to returning to play for the club he dreamt about as a child.
“I have always dreamt of playing for Liverpool, but I did kind of think the chance of playing for them had gone. I didn’t think the chance would come. It was a shock when I heard Liverpool were in for me,” <a href="http:\/\/www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/164259-rickie-lambert-the-first-interview" target="_blank">Lambert said on the club’s website</a>. “I know how big Liverpool are – and it means everything to me – but I know what is important; I know it’s what I do on the pitch and the minutes I play. I know that’s what matters, and that’s what I’ll be focused on.”
Here are five things to like about the signing:
1) Lambert knows how to score. At Southampton, he was the club’s top scorer every year since joining the team in 2009. All told, he scored 117 goals in 235 appearances for Southampton, and scored or assisted on 23 of their 54 league goals this past season, making him the fourth-highest scoring English player in the Premier League.
2) He knows what it takes to help push a team to the next level. When he joined Southampton, the club was in League One and he helped lead them all the way to the Premier League.
3) He provides depth, which is important as Liverpool will make its return to Champions League play next season. A big part of their success this past season was the fact that Rodgers could put all his focus onto the next league game without having to worry about how his decision would impact European games. Having Lambert on board gives Rodgers more options and, hopefully, doesn’t result in a drop off in goals if the club sits Luis Suárez or Daniel Sturridge.
4) At a cost of just £4.5 million plus add-ons, Lambert doesn’t break the bank.
5) He brings experience to the club. Lambert will spend the summer in Brazil with the England national team – one of six current Liverpool players on the national team – giving him an opportunity to get comfortable with a large number of his new club teammates.
“I think I am prepared mentally now for almost anything,” <a href="http:\/\/www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/jun/02/rickie-lambert-liverpool" target="_blank">Lambert told </a><a href="http:\/\/www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/jun/02/rickie-lambert-liverpool" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>. “I’ve had a long career, I’ve experienced a lot – a lot of ups and downs – and I believe I am at a time in my life now where anything that happens, I can enjoy, get the most out of it and adapt to it.
“[Brendan] knows what the club means to me. I think he sees what he can benefit from by signing me and he knows I’ll be trying my best every minute I play for this club. I’m not sure what role he has for me – he hasn’t gone into great detail right now – but I will be speaking to him very shortly.”
Lambert may not be the type of headline-grabbing signing that pushes Liverpool over the top, but he should turn into the kind of quiet transaction that helps the club keep pace with the other top Premier League teams.

5 Reasons To Like Liverpool's Signing Of Rickie Lambert - World Soccer Talk

5 Reasons To Like Liverpool's Signing Of Rickie Lambert

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Southampton Capable Of Springing A Surprise And Competing With The Big Guns

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5 Reasons To Like Liverpool's Signing Of Rickie Lambert