Please log in or register. Registered visitors get fewer ads.
Saints Can Look At Top Six Finish After A Solid Start To Season.
Monday, 23rd Oct 2017 10:53

Saturday's game against West Bromwich Albion marked the quater way mark in the season, or as near as you can get, our tenth place position suggests that this season can still turn out to be a good one.

Even the most ardent Saints supporter would not claim that this has been a great start to our season, however it has been a solid if unspectacular one.

There are a few reasons for that, another change of manager hasn't helped, but he has had to contend with a difficult start to his reign with his best player sat on the touchlines for the opening four League games and the attendant issues that have surrounded the club in this affair.

So a little leeway should be given to Mauricio Pellegrino when assessing his start at St Mary's, indeed no manager should be judged on their opening 9 games at a club, there is too much chopping and changing in the Premier League these days, it rarely improves things that much as Crystal Palace are finding out.

But there is plenty of hope out there for Saints fans about the rest of this season, whilst people rave about Watford & Huddersfield's start to the season, it should be noted that we are only 3 points behind the Hornets and ahead of the Yorkshire club on goal difference, indeed if we had drawn with Watford at St Mary's then we would be above them now and in 7th place.

Of course that is all if's and but's, however it does show just how compressed this league is at present and how near we are to being able to not only finish in the top ten for a 5th season running, but perhaps even replicate our sixth place showing of a couple of years ago.

Currently we sit only 4 points behind Chelsea in 4th, but realistically our aim is to firstly secure that 7th spot and then hope that Liverpool continue to lose games and try and overhaul them for sixth, that will be a big ask but given how this season has started not an unrealistic one.

As mentioned the likes of Watford, Huddersfield, Burnley and even Newcastle have started well and we have not been consistent, but we are still in and amongst them, if we can find that spark and reignite our form then there is no reason why we cannot replicate that 2015/16 season finish.

That season is now looked upon as one that was utra entertaining, but the perception is a lot different to the reality, we spent much of that season in the same type of form we are in now, short bursts of wins followed by games where we should really have done better.

After 9 games that season we had 13 points, only one more than we have now, after 29 games we had 41 points, that was an average of 1.4 points per game, not that far removed from our ratio so far this season.

At the end of that season we won 7 out of the last 9, surging into 6th spot, but we shouldn't let that end of season flourish paint the rest of that year in a far rosier light than it actually was.

We need to do what we did back ten for most of the season and that is keep rinding out results and keep ourselves in the top ten and on the coat tails of the top six.

The cause for optimism is the fact that we sit right in amongst the pack after all our trials and tribulations and without finding our form, if we can do that then we will not have a problem this season.

The one lesson that we are constantly reminded of but which so many fail to learn is that of patience, even Saturday's win over West Brom was a lesson in never giving up until the final whistle, especially when there is so little in the game.

The pattern of the last three seasons starts including this one has been roughly the same, average starts followed by a surge in the second half of the season, that is what we have to look for this term, form is temporary, class is permanent and if we keep grinding out results as we did on Saturday then we keep ourselves in the mixer and when we find form it will push us forward.

I think we have been spoiled over the past 8 years, in our resurgence back up the leagues, some supporters became used to year on year improvement, they assumed that every year would be better than the last, the truth is that it could be said that we have improved year on year, although last term was the first in those 8 years we droppd back a place, a Wembley Cup Final was proof that the progress was still happening.

The reality is that a plateau was always going to be reached, once we hit 7th place it would be very hard to get higher due to the much much greater financial strength of those big six clubs, not to mention the likes of Everton and now Newcastle who potentially have much bigger support and income than ourselves.

Everton are a classic case of where the Premier League is going wrong, the clubs that think that money can make up for infrastructure and planning ultimately do not achieve their goals as the likes of Aston Villa, Leeds and even Sunderland are all finding out down in the Championship.

Those that panic at every blip often find themselves just lurching from one crisis to another and paying the price.

It may be difficult for some fans to accept, but it cannot be great every week, every month or even every season, there are always going to be blips, we are always going to have the issue of players wanting to go to bigger clubs, we have to deal with it and use it to our advantage, as we have done, yes I would prefer to see players stay longer, but I would still have rather have had Lovren for 1 season, Aderweireld for 1 season and Van Dijk for two good ones, than having Yoshida in the team in their place for those four seasons.

No disrespect to Yoshida who has been a true club stalwart, but our standards have risen and have done so because we have used those players to our own ends as much as they have used us.

So patience is the name of the game, give this manager time to show he has what it takes, stay behind the team as we did on Saturday and there is every chance that this season could be as good as the last ones.

Sixth place is a good target, Everton were considered the favourites for this spot if a big six team failed, but they are in disarray, Liverpool likewise, we have to do what we do these days and quietly get on with things and surprise teams when we pop up from seemingly nowhere.

Photo: Action Images



Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.



lemmsy added 17:32 - Oct 23
IMO the difference between 7th and the bottom three is so tight now nobody can really predict how things will go. After last season palace, stoke,West Ham,Bournemouth, Everton And Leicester would all have higher aspirations than present.
We haven’t started particularly well but could easily have 3-4 points more than we have, also although the fixtures have been relatively kind I think most would agree our best performance was against Utd so hopefully we find some real form & cohesion by the time we play the bigger sides.
1

sidsaint added 17:54 - Oct 23
Much too early to start thinking about a top 6. it seems to me only about 6 can guarantee they will be safe come May.
2

SaintPaulVW added 18:09 - Oct 23
I'm not sold yet on a high finish. It's certainly not out of the realm of possibilities and I take your point on stats from previous seasons. However to be more convinced I would prefer to have seen more improvement in our attack. Not sure I've seen any real concrete change yet.
2

WanderingSaint added 18:10 - Oct 23
What on Earth are you talking about?! Against Utd we lost 1-0, because Hoedt fell overunder no pressure whatsoever. Yoshi hasn’t made a mistake for ages and has arguably been our best defender this season. Please just stop making such ludicrous remarks. You’re losing respect weekly. Don’t mention him in your reports going forwards and see if you can gain some back.

As far as top 6 isconcerned, is it a joke? Or are you high? We’ve been awful all season, and I’m amazed the manager is still here, and remain convinced he’ll be gone by the end of November.
6

mattthelegend added 21:59 - Oct 23
Nick, I would like to know your thoughts on Benalli, with out doubt a Saints legend but as you would agree not blessed with talent but like Yoshi , Saints to the core and always gave his all for the cause whatever?
2

Jesus_02 added 00:40 - Oct 24
my memory of the 15/16 season was that it was entertaining and I actually had a belief that we could get a result against ANYONE . We had an unpredictable and exiting attack and a solid defense. But mainly it was ENTERTAINING.

I was relieved that we managed a home draw against Newcastle with some horror show keeping a dodgy pen and a solo goal from Gabbi. Boufals goal was great but other than that we are still pretty toothless and seem happy to hold on to the ball rather than make mistakes because we are ultimatly unconfident all over the pitch. The result is pretty boring stuff.

Top 6? Wow.. just wow
2

JimmyMeliaPhD added 04:50 - Oct 24
Trying honestly to assess the value of Yoshida, I looked at the 18 other recognised centre backs who played for other EPL teams this weekend, and asked which of them I'd really start ahead of Yoshida. Definitely Vertonghen and Aldeweireld, and David Luiz. Nobody else was obvious to me....maybe Cahill, Ottamendi, Stones, Schindler,
Lascelles, Mertesacker. But I'm not really sure any of them would be obviously ahead of Yosh. That means that for me he's at minimum in the top ten centre backs in the premiership right now. Which is a far cry from this page's baseless claims that he's not premiership quality.
1

underweststand added 08:26 - Oct 24
I also have to have my two-pennyworth about the comments on Yoshida. Like many "imported" players he found it difficult to get a regular spot, although I recall him turning in some good apps. at LB (hence his no.3) but the competition at CB was quite intensive and against the likes of (the in-form) Lovren, Alderweireld and then VvD, he rarely got a look-in. Koeman did him no favours when using him as an emergency RB and we all recall several errors that eventually cost us games, and his own popularity.
I all this history we forget that Jose Fonte was first choice CB from L1 days and (IMHO) made many of his CB partners look a tad better than they really were. With Fonte's sudden departure Maya took his chance with both hands after VvD was injured, as well as guiding Jack Stephens into his Prem. career after VVD was injured.
I consider Yoshida to be one of the most improved players in the club this year, and he would be the first name on the team sheet- if I choosing the side.
2

ItchenNorth added 18:36 - Oct 24
Top 6, no.
Top half, yes why not, that would be a successful season again I'd say.
1

ElSanto added 02:57 - Oct 25
Haha, Nick throws out the bait and there's never a shortage of biters!
0


You need to login in order to post your comments

Blogs 31 bloggers

Knees-up Mother Brown #22 by wessex_exile

Queens Park Rangers Polls

Logo for 'BeGambleAware' Logo for 'BeGambleAware' Logo for 'GamStop' Gambling 18+
About Us Contact Us Terms & Conditions Privacy Cookies Advertising
© FansNetwork 2024