FM17: Southampton FC - #WeMarchOn

[Saint_Lane]

 ★★★Welcome to the FM17  Southampton FC Thread ★★★

 

Southampton FC club logo  - Nicknamed The Saints, they currently play their football in England's top tier.

 

 ★Introduction★

The Saints experienced yet another summer of upheaval and change ahead of their 2016/17 season in the Premier League. It is now the third successive season that departures of key players and managers have hampered preparations ahead of a new campaign, and while the Liebherr family, Ralph Krueger and Les Reed have answered critics in the past many will begin to wonder whether this is the season the Saints will feel the strain

Southampton finished the 15/16 season with a highest ever league position finish & securing European football at St. Marys for next season. A fantastic season lading in 6th place and ending just 3 points away from securing Champions League football. Despite this, it was not enough to keep hold of manager Ronald Koeman who moved to an under performing Everton team, along with key players Sadio Mane, Victor Wanyama & Graziano Pelle moving on to pastures new.

Enter center stage, Claude Puel. The new manager  is somewhat an unknown quantity in England, but having had success in Ligue 1 in France with spells at Lyon & Monaco and more recently having taken Nice into Europe by playing some of the most attractive football in the league, he certainly has the CV to back his new position. Getting the best of Hatem Ben Arfa is no small feat in itself. 

Balancing the demands of domestic and European football will not be straightforward and Southampton will not want to spread themselves too thin. The combination of a new manager, a heavy workload and rivals hoping to overtake them presents them with a daunting challenge; simply standing still would be a fine achievement. But do not be shocked if the Saints surprise again!

 ★Who Are Southampton?★

Southampton Football Club are a professional club based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire and compete in the top flight of English football, the Premier League. Nicknamed the Saints, they play their home games at St Mary's Stadium, before which they were based at The Dell. In 2001 the move from the Dell to the new St Mary's Stadium was something of a spiritual homecoming for Southampton Football Club. 

The club has won the FA Cup once in 1976 and its highest ever league finish was in the old First Division, finishing second place in 1983/84. The Saints were relegated from the Premier League in 2005 ending 27 successive seasons of top flight football for the club. Led by the Liebherr family with club legend Markus Liebherr at the helm, the owners appointed an ex Scunthorpe physio as manager who led the club to successive promotions and back into the Premier league after a 7 years absence.

Markus Liebherr rescued Southampton from financial ruin. Markus sadly passed away August 2010.

The time away from the Premier League was arguably the most difficult in Southampton's history. Riddled with financial mis-management the club plummeted to the depths of League One with a -10 point penalty. Thanks to the generosity and love of the Liebherr family, a world renowned youth academy responsible for producing the likes of Gareth Bale, The Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain & Adam Lallana to name a few and the appointment of Nigel Adkins as a manager the club eventually climbed back to the Premier League. 

 ★History★

The team that play in red and white today can trace their roots back to the club formed in 1885 by members of St. Mary's Church Young Men's association who played their football on the banks of the Itchen for 13 years before moving on.
Originally called Southampton St. Mary's, the club joined the Southern League in 1894 and won the championship for three years running between 1897 and 1899 and again in 1901, 1903 and 1904. That success spanned some major changes for the Saints as they moved to a newly built £10,000 stadium called The Dell in 1898. Although they would spend the next 103 years there, the future was far from certain in those early days and the club had to rent the premises first before they could stump up the cash to buy the stadium outright in the early part of the next century.

The dream of Division 1 football at The Dell for the first time was finally realised in 1966 when Ted Bates' team were promoted as runners-up. It was a never-to-be-forgotten achievement.

The most memorable day in Southampton Football Club's history came in 1976 when the Second Division side, managed by Lawrie McMenemy, won the FA Cup for the first time with a sensational 1-0 victory at Wembley over odds-on favourites Manchester United. In 1978 Saints gained promotion back to Division 1 and a year later they were back at Wembley, losing 3-2 to Nottingham Forest in the League Cup Final. Alan Ball was in the Saints team, one of several star names to join the club.

The signing of Kevin Keegan, twice European Footballer of the Year, from Hamburg, was a masterstroke by McMenemy, a move which stunned the football world and one that was followed in the 1983/84 season by the most successful campaign in the club's history. With the great Peter Shilton in goal they finished runners-up to Liverpool in the league and reached the FA Cup semi-finals, losing to Everton in extra time.

Saints emerged as one of the country's most entertaining teams as second top scorers in the First Division with 71 strikes in their goals for column. Matthew Le Tissier, 24-goal leading scorer, was named PFA Young Player of the Year with strike partner Rodney Wallace in second place.

Matthew Le Tissier scored over 100 goals for The Saints. He now works as a TV Pundit for Sky Sports News

A turbulent start to the 21st century meant manager Harry Redknapp was unable to halt the decline despite bringing in five new players during the January transfer window and, after a 27-year stay in the top flight, Saints were relegated on the final day of the 2004/05 season. They lost 2-1 at home to Manchester United to finish bottom of the Premier League. The Club was virtually on its knees as administration lingered over Saints for the early part of the summer in 2009. The positive news that everyone had been waiting for finally arrived however, when Nicola Cortese, a man who had built his reputation in Swiss finance, introduced German businessman Markus Liebherr to the idea of buying the Club.

The Saints were launched upwards securing successive promotions back the Premier League where they remain today.

 

[Saint_Lane]

 ★Stadium★

St Mary's Stadium has been home to the Saints since August 2001. It has a capacity of 32,689 and is one of only a handful of stadia in Europe to meet UEFA's Four Star criteria. The stadium has also been host to a number of international games. The ground's record attendance is 32,363, set in a game between Southampton and Coventry City in April 2012.

St Marys Stadium - Home of Southampton FC. It replaced The Dell in 2001. 

The club's training facilities, Staplewood, are located in Marchwood on the edge of the New Forest. The current facilities were opened in November 2014, at a cost of almost £40m. The main building was named after the club's late owner, Markus Liebherr.

★Facilities★

Overview

Nation: England

Year Founded: 1885

Nickname: The Saints

Operating Status: Professional.

Legends: R.Lambert, Matt Le Tissier, Mick Channon, Terry Paine, Lawry Mcmenemy, Markus Liebherr & Ted Bates

Derbies: South Coast Derby Vs Portsmouth

Fierce Rivals: Portsmouth (Local)

Continental Competition: UEFA Europa League.

Media Prediction: 10th.

Squad Personality: Highly Professional.

Captain: Jose Fonte

Vice-Captain: Steven Davies

Finances

Finances: Rich.

Estimated Value: £412m

Debt: £62m

Transfer Budget: £31m

Wage Budget: £1.4m p/w.

Facilities

City: Southampton.

Stadium: St Marys

Capacity: 32,689.

Year Built: 2001

Surface: Grass.

Corporate Facilities: Top corporate facilities.

Training Facilities: Superb training facilities.

Youth Facilities: Superb youth facilities.

Youth Stadium: Staplewood Campus

Training Ground: Staplewood Campus

Junior Coaching: Excellent junior coaching.

Youth Recruitment: Well establishe youth recruitment.

 

 ★Kits★

The Saints' home strip is the typical red and white stripes. For the crest, the halo is a reference to the nickname "Saints", the ball to the nature of the club, the scarf to the fans and the team colors.

The tree represents the nearby New Forest and Southampton Common, with the water representing Southampton's connections with the rivers, seas and oceans. Below that is a white rose – the symbol of the city which is also present on the city crest. In the mid-1990s the ball was changed from a vintage style ball (such as those used in the 1960s) to the current ball with black and white panels, for copyright reasons

 

[Saint_Lane]

 

★The Squad★

Goalkeepers

[1] Fraser Forster (GK): Saints' number one goalkeeper since departing Celtic after almost 200 appearances and 102 clean sheets to return to the Premier League and play a part in the next stage of Southampton’s growth under the tutelage of Senior Goalkeeping Coach Dave Watson. 

[13] Alex McCarthy (GK): Is a capable deputy to Forster, having cut short his time at Selhurst Park to join up with Southampton, and GK coach Dave Watson, on a three-year contract following the departure of Paulo Gazzaniga on loan to Rayo Vallecano.

[41] Harry Lewis (GK): Academy product at just 18 years old, Harry has yet to make a senior debut for the first team but has played a pivotal role in the youth development teams.

[28] Stuart Taylor (GK): Bought in as cover to McCarthy and Forster, Taylor is a journeyman goalkeeper having played for Arsenal, Leeds & Manchester City to name a few of his previous clubs. 

 

Defenders

[2] Cédric Soares (RB): Joined from Sporting CP in the summer of 2015 and has gone on to make 31 appearances for the Saints. He is currently the first choice RB under Puel though with the arrival of Jeremy Pied and rise in form of Cuco Martina, there is plenty of competition for that RB place. He starts the 2016/17 as a European Cup winner having represented his national team Portugal in the summer tournament in France. 

[3] Maya Yoshida (CB): The Japanese international captain and CB starts his 5th season with the Saints having accumulated over 80 appearances for the club. He has proved himself a steady squad player for the Saints having never been able to oust the first choice CB pairing in recent years. His versatility is a strong point as he is competent in both the CB & RB position. Moments of madness and a lack of concentration has hampered his experience in the first XI at times during his career.

[5] Florin Gardos (CB): The strong Romanian joined Saints from Steaua București in August 2014.  He went on to make a total of 11 appearances in his first season, featuring in eight of the side's 17 clean sheets across the course of the season. A pre-season injury meant the Romanian missed the entire 2015/16 campaign. Struggling with injuries Florin hasn't been able to establish himself a regular in the match day squad and has found himself down the CB pecking order. 

[6] José Fonte (CB): The second UEFA European Cup winner in the team, Fonte is the club captain and has been a loyal & stalwart CB for the Saints for many season. Having accumulated over 164 games since his debut in January 2010, Fonte has grown in stature and developed alongside Southampton during their meteoric rise to the Premier League. 

[15] Cuco Martina (RB): Joining from Dutch club FC Twente, Martina made his debut in August 2015.  In previous seasons he has found himself behind Cedric in the pecking order but with an abundance of games in the 2016/17 season he has really laid a claim to be the first choice RB this season. 

[17] Virgil van Dijk (CB): The colossal Dutch CB joined Saints from Celtic in 2015 to replace the outgoing Toby Alderwhatshisname.  VVD and J.Fonte now comprise what is arguably the strongest center back pairing in the Premier League. Virgil is known form his physical stature, aerial ability and range of passing.

[33] Matt Targett (LB): Matt, just 21 years old is another product of the Saints Academy. With over 39 appearances for the first team he has provided cover for Ryan Bertrand when needed and many people around the club have high hopes for the talented left back,

[26] Jérémy Pied (RB): Pied completed a move to Southampton on a free transfer to link back up with Puel for the third time in his career. The right-back suffered disappointment early on in his Saints career, with a knee injury ruling him out long term at the end of August.

[21] Ryan Bertrand (LB): A full England international and the Saints' first choice left back. Joining from Chelsea in August 2014, Bertrand has gone on to make 74 appearances for Southampton. Bertrand is equally capable attacking down the left as he is in defense. 

 

Midfielders

 

[4] Jordy Clasie:

[8] Steven Davis:

[11] Dusan Tadic:

[14] Oriol Romeu:

[16] James Ward-Prowse:

[18] Harrison Reed:

[22] Nathan Redmond:

[23] Pierre-Emile Højbjerg:

[19] Sofiane Boufal:

[38] Sam McQueen:

 

Attackers

[7] Shane Long:

[9] Jay Rodriguez:

[10] Charlie Austin:

[32] Olufela Olomola:

★Key Player★

Dusan Tadic #11

Tadic celebrates scoring in a 3-0 win against West Ham at the London Stadium

Biography

Former clubs: FK Vojvodina, FC Groningen, FC Twente

The versatile Serbian winger was born on 20th November 1988 in the town of Bačka Topola, which was then part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

In the summer of 2008, Tadić was the youngest player named in the Serbia squad for the 2008 Olympics, starting his country’s first game and appearing as a substitute in the other two as his country went out in the group stage.

On the domestic front, he would notch a further 20 goals in 66 appearances across two seasons to earn a move to the Netherlands, where he signed for FC Groningen in June 2010.

His first season with Groningen was a success, with his 21 assists the joint-third-highest in the whole of Europe, behind only Mesut Özil and Lionel Messi. He also scored seven times in 41 appearances as his new team finished fifth and qualified for the play-offs, only to miss out on a place in the Europa League by losing to ADO Den Haag on penalties in the final. Tadić matched his seven-goal haul in the 2011/12 season to earn a move to FC Twente, who were then managed by Englishman Steve McClaren. He marked his league debut for his new club by scoring twice in a 4-1 win over his former side, Groningen. 

It was the 2013/14 season, though, that would be the Serbian’s best so far. He opened the campaign by scoring two penalties in a 4-1 away win over Ronald Koeman’s Feyenoord, and would help Twente finish third in the table and qualify for the Europa League after a one-year absence from European competition.

 

Passing, Vision and Flair are all of Tadic's strengths

Tadić again scored 16 goals, the fourth-highest total in the division, and topped the league’s assist chart with 14. He also continued to pick up international caps and goals for his native Serbia with whom he had scored six times in 25 appearances prior to his move here. Tadić was a breath of fresh air on arrival in the Premier League, supplying seven assists as well as scoring four goals, including the winner in a memorable victory at Manchester United in January 2015.

His second season with the club was even better, as he picked up 13 assists in all competitions as Saints finished sixth in the Premier League. A fine campaign was rewarded with a new four-year contract ahead of the 2016/17 campaign.

★Hot Prospect★

Pierre-Emile Højbjerg #23

Hojbjerg controls the ball in a 2-0 win against Dortmund in the German Cup Final

Biography

Former clubs: Bayern Munich, FC Schalke 04 (loan), FC Augsburg (loan)

As a youth team player he represented BK Skjold and F.C. Copenhagen before moving on to Brøndby IF at age 14. In 2011, Højbjerg won the Danish under-17 player of the year award. He was signed by Bayern in July 2012, and made his debut for them later that season as a 17 year-old against 1. FC Nürnberg, and in doing so, became the youngest player ever to play for them at first team level in the Bundesliga. It was therefore little surprise that he was named as Danish talent of the year in 2013. Pep Guardiola handed Højbjerg a start in the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) final which saw Bayern claim a 2–0 extra-time win over Borussia Dortmund. 

The following campaign brought his first taste of Champions League football and another dozen or so appearances for Bayern’s first team, before he was loaned out to FC Augsburg whom he helped to Europa League qualification, providing an assist for the winning goal against his parent club in the closing stages of the campaign. Two goals in 16 appearances for Augsburg set up a season-long loan move to FC Schalke 04 for whom he played over 30 times in all competitions last season including the Europa League, with two goals scored in the Bundesliga.

Back at Bayern, manager Pep Guardiola had been impressed by what he had seen from the Dane and liked his style of play to that of Sergio Busquets for his ability on the ball and natural positioning on the pitch.

A sound technical ability and work rate underpins Pierre's presence on the pitch

Although contracted to Bayern until 2018, the departure of his mentor Guardiola to Manchester City, coupled with his own desire for a “fresh challenge” saw Højbjerg scour clubs in Europe to take the next step in his career with.

Having searched for a team that would not only match his ambition but also give him an opportunity to develop, Højbjerg completed a move to Southampton in the summer of 2016.

★Staff★

 

[Manager] Claude Puel: 

Born on 2nd September 1961 in France, Claude Puel's first management experience outside of France comes with Southampton.
During his 17-year playing career with AS Monaco, Puel won two Ligue 1 titles, as well as winning the Coupe de France in both 1985 and 1991.

After 486 games in Ligue 1 – making him the 24th most capped player in the history of the championship – Puel announced the end of his playing career following the conclusion of the 1995/96 season.

In January 1999, Puel made the step up to the manager of the first team. Working with players such as David Trezeguet, Ludovic Giuly and Marco Simone, Puel guided Monaco to the Ligue 1 title in his first full season in charge, and was subsequently named Manager of the Year.

Following a year out of the game, Puel was named as head coach at Lille. During his six-year stay, Puel guided Lille to their highest Ligue 1 finish in over 50 years, as they finished the campaign as runners-up. By 2008, Lyon were calling on the services of Puel, with the Frenchman appointed manager on a four-year contract. Despite being unable to continue Lyon’s impressive Ligue 1 title success, Puel guided them to three top-three finishes during his time with the club. It was in Europe where Puel delivered his best results with Lyon, guiding them to their first ever Champions League semi-final in 2010 – beating the likes of Real Madrid on their way to the last four. Puel arrived at OGC Nice a year later. In his first season in charge, Nice finished fourth – their best Ligue 1 finish since 1976.

 

[Assistant Coach] Pascal Placque:

Pascal Plancque became Claude Puel’s first team assistant following his appointment as manager in June 2016. Following a 15 year playing career as a midfielder, which took in spells at Lille and Auxerre among others in France, Plancque immediately moved into coaching, initially in the lower leagues of French football. Prior to joining Southampton, he was Youth Team Coach at Lens for the previous four seasons, a role he also held for two seasons at Auxerre at the turn of the century.

 

[Assistant Manager] Eric Black:

A former Scotland international, Eric Black joined Southampton alongside Claude Puel. He’s managed teams in both England and Scotland. Black moved on to Coventry City in 2004 following the resignation of Gary McAllister but despite earning praise for instilling an effective playing style on the team, he left to assist Steve Bruce at Birmingham City whom he later followed to Sunderland. 

Black later took charge of both clubs on a caretaker basis, and would go on to do the same at Blackburn Rovers, Rotherham United and then Aston Villa where he had been first team coach.

 

[Head of Goalkeeping] Dave Watson:

Dave Watson made the move to Saints in 2014, when he left his post at Norwich City to head to the south coast. As a player, Watson enjoyed a decade-long career with his hometown club, helping them win promotion to the summit of English football in 1997 before being the club’s number one for their first, and only to date, Premier League campaign.  Despite suffering relegation with the Tykes that year, Watson – who collected five England Under-21 caps in the mid-1990s – was tipped for success, but had to hang up his boots in 2001 at the age of 28 following a serious knee injury sustained two years earlier.

Watson helped to hone the skills of future England custodians Joe Hart, Ben Foster and Jack Butland at Birmingham City. He arrived at St Mary’s from Carrow Road, having also spent the summer of 2014 working under England manager Roy Hodgson at the World Cup in Brazil. Watson signed a new deal, becoming the club's Head of Goalkeeping, ahead of the start of the 2016/17 Premier League campaign.

 

[Head of Sports Science] Alek Gross:

Alek Gross joined Southampton in June 2013 as the Lead Academy Strength and Conditioning Coach and was promoted to Head of Sports Science within the FDSC at Staplewood Campus in January 2014. Gross is responsible for managing the sports science department schedules and the delivery of services to the whole club from first team down into the academy. He became more involved with the first team at Southampton in 2016 following the appointment of Claude Puel as manager, and now heads up the seniors’ fitness coaching.

 

 

[Saint_Lane]

[Saint_Lane]

 

★Where Legends Live★

★Team Records★

Biggest Win:

Biggest Win in a Cup Final: 

Biggest Win in Champions League: 

Most Possession in a Match: 

Most Games Won in Row:

Most Matches Without Losing:

Most League Goals Scored in a Season: 

Least League Goals Conceded in a Season: 

★Premier League - Players★

Most Goals in a Season: 

Most League Goals in a Season:

Most Assists in a Match: 

Most League Assists in a Season: 

Most Goals in a Match: 

Highest Transfer Fee Received: 

Highest Transfer Fee Spent: 

 

 

[Saint_Lane]

Reserved 123

[Saint_Lane]

Reserved 123

[PitchPosh]

Really enjoy the groundwork the club has laid to remain successful IRL, so I'll be following this thread closely. I'm definitely aiming to have a Southampton save this year!

[Searley60]

Starting my save now   Really looking forward to this.

[saints94]

Great opening post, Have you had a look at transfer options? I think a striker is key as I don't think Austin, Long or JROD will get enough goals. Some great prospects as well. Is there a better all round centre half in the league than Virgil?

[Saint_Lane]

6 minutes ago, saints94 said:

Great opening post, Have you had a look at transfer options? I think a striker is key as I don't think Austin, Long or JROD will get enough goals. Some great prospects as well. Is there a better all round centre half in the league than Virgil?

Thanks Saint94 - I've disabled transfers in the first window and not too far into the game yet. Confident Austin and the others will be able to contribute enough. As for VVD, i don't think there is a better CB. Toby A probably pushes him close but VVD has been immense, i can see him playing for any top European side.

[Welshace]

Little things put me off saves...

 

Little simple things like Nathan Redmond being white in the match engine..... how.. and why...

[Saint_Lane]

4 minutes ago, Welshace said:

Little things put me off saves...

 

Little simple things like Nathan Redmond being white in the match engine..... how.. and why...

Haha! They're all just dots with numbers on to me (2D Classic Hero)...

[saints94]

What tactics are you using and your starting 11?

[lewis999]

On 04/11/2016 at 20:07, Welshace said:

Little things put me off saves...

 

Little simple things like Nathan Redmond being white in the match engine..... how.. and why...

Yeah i'm gonna change that right now, so annoying.

[LeTissier]

Just starting my save now, pretty psyched. Hopefully not too easy on this years game. 

[Saint_Lane]

On 11/4/2016 at 23:30, saints94 said:

What tactics are you using and your starting 11?

Will update the player profiles and tactics section today shortly- Keep your eyes peeled.  

[Oenone87]

Lies

[Saint_Lane]

13 hours ago, Oenone87 said:

Lies

Over promise, under deliver ...Wait or is it

[LeTissier]

Social media in this is just atrocious. Always two one way and one the other. Just won the league with a game to go, Berahino who cost just £3million with no competition from any other clubs (bizarre) got injured and instead of fans being please about winning the league it's "well it was nice dreaming about beating West Ham..." and "I wonder who is going to step up to impress...". He come off the bench to replace the first choice striker who tops the scoring charts with 30 goals 5 ahead of anyone else. 

Virgil didn't moan one bit and was never made any promises about leaving, gets to March time and the league is looking 90% likely and he got in a mood because the squad wasn't strengthened, with no ins or outs in January.

Tadic can NOT play AMC I'm finding.

Bertrand had to start 21 games in a row until he'd stop crying about being rotated and playing two out of three games (usually). 

You can actually pick up decent players not being utilised by their clubs for decent fees. Chambers I managed to get for £12m instead of the usual £697m Arsenal ask for. Just having to continually scout my entire shortlist every fortnight in case someone goes from "suggest £5m" and they want £156m to a nice £9-15m. Negotiating sales is easier, they don't bid £1m, you say £1.1m and they just run away. 

All in all really enjoying it although it's a bit easy with Southampton so will need to lower league it. As much as I'm loving my solid youthful mainly English side. 

[Southamptonman7]

On 11/8/2016 at 16:12, LeTissier said:

Social media in this is just atrocious. Always two one way and one the other. Just won the league with a game to go, Berahino who cost just £3million with no competition from any other clubs (bizarre) got injured and instead of fans being please about winning the league it's "well it was nice dreaming about beating West Ham..." and "I wonder who is going to step up to impress...". He come off the bench to replace the first choice striker who tops the scoring charts with 30 goals 5 ahead of anyone else. 

Virgil didn't moan one bit and was never made any promises about leaving, gets to March time and the league is looking 90% likely and he got in a mood because the squad wasn't strengthened, with no ins or outs in January.

Tadic can NOT play AMC I'm finding.

Bertrand had to start 21 games in a row until he'd stop crying about being rotated and playing two out of three games (usually). 

You can actually pick up decent players not being utilised by their clubs for decent fees. Chambers I managed to get for £12m instead of the usual £697m Arsenal ask for. Just having to continually scout my entire shortlist every fortnight in case someone goes from "suggest £5m" and they want £156m to a nice £9-15m. Negotiating sales is easier, they don't bid £1m, you say £1.1m and they just run away. 

All in all really enjoying it although it's a bit easy with Southampton so will need to lower league it. As much as I'm loving my solid youthful mainly English side. 

Berahino for £3million?? How?

Also i am using a 4-2-3-1 formation and the boys are familiar with the tactic but we still struggle to get results. What sort of tactics are you using?

[Jean-Luc]

Great opening post. One of those who make me want to start a save. I put in on my list.

[Lufcberg22]

This tactic is doing well for me, i rotate Austin with Ayoze Perez, Also rotate Steven Davis with JWP

[jwhite]

Save started.

League form isn't great although I've played some top sides already.

top of europa group after 3 games.

Jay Rod and Boufal currently my stand out players.

[LeTissier]

On 11/10/2016 at 08:46, Southamptonman7 said:

Berahino for £3million?? How?

Also i am using a 4-2-3-1 formation and the boys are familiar with the tactic but we still struggle to get results. What sort of tactics are you using?

End of season Bosman and 4-2-3-1 also. 

[JBC#1]

Started up what must be my third Southampton save and currently, 4 games and 4 draws in...

Kept same squad as original with only additions James Bree and Ademola Lookman along with Memphis Depay on loan...

4-1-4-1 formation

 

[Parsons]

Signed belotti for 15 mil rising to 23 over 48 months and he's broken his leg 7 months out ?

[cdleedsfan]

Save started last night. Impressed with the Southampton Set Up.

I always use my 4-1-3-1-1 formation as I have never found a better system, even though I try.

Signed a couple of Brazilians called Rodrigo - Rodrigo Caio: CB and Rodrigo Durado: DM Moving Fonte and Romeu to the bench.

Sold (or trying to sell): Taylor, Martina, Yoshida, Gardos, Pied

Only got through pre-season but Shane Long is a beast. His 20 Work Rate really shows on the match engine. Chases everything. I was originally planning to sell him, but I have a feeling he's going to be my top scorer for the season.

Redmond makes a great RM and Boufal as a Second Striker looks good too.

I like the Southampton Youngsters too, can make an XI out of them:

Harry Lewis
Valery
Stephens
Cook
Targett
Reed
Isgrove
Ward-Prowse
McQueen
Seager
Olomola

[jkae]

On 22/11/2016 at 18:27, Parsons said:

Signed belotti for 15 mil rising to 23 over 48 months and he's broken his leg 7 months out ?

Gutted! i signed him for roughly the same and he scored 27 in 36 in the league 1st season and won the golden boot, im in feb in the second and hes got 19 in 21 games. I play him on his own as an AF. 

[Parsons]

9 hours ago, jkae said:

Gutted! i signed him for roughly the same and he scored 27 in 36 in the league 1st season and won the golden boot, im in feb in the second and hes got 19 in 21 games. I play him on his own as an AF. 

He's just come back for me so far 5 in 2 games I know he won't keep that up but still

[LeTissier]

Loving my player being top scorer 3 seasons running, just a year left on his contract. Give him a new deal, the Polish Messi that I've got stays for 5 more years. "haha what a terrible decision". The social feed is an absolute joke. 2 positive 1 bad pretty much no matter what.  Sign a 16 year old "hardly an inspirational signing". Brilliant, the guy I just 27 million quid on to sort out the defensive problems, that was the the signing to inspire, but that was just met with "would prefer we gave a chance to one of our own". I have 1 centre half in my under 18s and none in my u23s, the 1 is truly terrible. 

Social feed = a joke. 

[Saint_Lane]

On 11/26/2016 at 08:06, LeTissier said:

Loving my player being top scorer 3 seasons running, just a year left on his contract. Give him a new deal, the Polish Messi that I've got stays for 5 more years. "haha what a terrible decision". The social feed is an absolute joke. 2 positive 1 bad pretty much no matter what.  Sign a 16 year old "hardly an inspirational signing". Brilliant, the guy I just 27 million quid on to sort out the defensive problems, that was the the signing to inspire, but that was just met with "would prefer we gave a chance to one of our own". I have 1 centre half in my under 18s and none in my u23s, the 1 is truly terrible. 

Social feed = a joke. 

Don't forget social media is a joke! Some of the comments you read about football on twitter, facebook etc. People (Majority of) are clueless. I think that's reflected in some of the comments you read in game.

[Welshace]

If you have an issue with the game, please post it with details in the correct forums.... 

Keep the moaning out of team thread please.

[f0rmat]

 

 

First season was okay - met the board expectations of top half finish (10th), played attacking football (second highest goals in league) and best possession in the league. Got to the semis of the league cup, put out in quarters of FA cup, and WON the Europa League against West Ham, who'd been my boogeyman team in the league all season.

All in all a mixed bag of a season. Biggest annoyance was VVD being annoyed at me for not strengthening the squad, and Charlie Austin continually being OFFSIDE! So so frustrating - his inability to stay onside just made our moves break down all the time

Anyway, 

my team in Nov 2017

 

Sold Austin to Palermo for £19m (he scored 30 goals in 45 appearances last season) because he just wasn't working. Berardi came in to provide more mobility and and bit of craft up front. Dolberg will mature in a complete forward too, he's already putting in good performances.

 

Bazoer is a beast, really controls in the midfield. Goldaniga is a really strong CB too, despite his stats not looking too amazing. He's been playing brilliantly and his high anticipation seems to work quite well for him at set pieces too.

Ward-Prowse is deadly at set pieces and scored 12 goals in the first season. Developing quite nicely too.

Clasie is falling down the pecking order of my midfield but is reliable when needed.

Hojberg is coming along nicely. Still a little inconsistent but definitely has a place in my squad.

Tufan is cover for any of the midfield spots and also covers the RB.

Lucas was a bargain buy and again can play anywhere in the CM/DM spots.

Redmond is handy to keep around. He is inconsistent but his pace and dribbling is great at providing a wee alternative approach when teams are being stubborn.

 

Anyway, in Nov 2017 I'm top of my CL group and unbeaten in europe. Sitting second in the league too, which is nice. Let's see how it goes. Would like to bring in Vokins and Freeman to the first team at some point.

[Ugeine]

Started a Southampton save as I wanted a Premier League side to play a possession tactic with.  Started with first window transfer budgets disabled. My team is currently lined up like this:

GK Forster

RB WB(A) Cerdic

CB Jose

CB VVD

LB FB (S) Targett

CM(D) Romeu

B2B Davies 

AMR IF(S) Bouffal

AML IF(S) Tadic

AMC AP(S) Clasie 

ST CF/ AF (A) Austin

 

TI: Play out of defence, press more, lower tempo, shorter passing, dribble less, roam more.

We're doing alright.  10th in the league after about 11 games, having already played some big sides.  Through to the semis of the EFL Cup and strolled through the Europa League group stage.

Main problems though are the strikers and the AMR position; Austin and or Long will go anonymous through half of the games, constantly getting 6.4 or 6.5 ratings.  I tend to alternate between the CF(A) and advanced forward roles, neither really works but I'm not sure what else to do.  I'd change one of the IFs to an (A) but I don't want to leave the full backs exposed.

With the AMR, I'm struggling to find a player that fits there.  One really annoying thing about the new version is that you don't get the position screen telling you how comfortable they are with the weaker foot any more.  I've got Redmond and Boufal are pretty poor on that side as an IF  which leaves Tadic (who's two footed) but  I'd rather not play him there.  

Really looking forward to a transfer window so I can strengthen those positions.  

[Lufcberg22]

This will be my long term save. Love Southampton, Well run club, fantastic youth academy. Just how a club should be run and hopefully one day then can become top 4 prospects & playing in the champions league aswell

[Lufcberg22]

3 games into the league and my 'total football' tactic looks like its working. No goals against so far but Liverpool up next so all that could change

 

[Lufcberg22]

Anyone got anything out of Boufal yet? i know he starts injured at the start but when he comes back where does he fit in? Ive Depay, Tadic, Rodriguez, Redmond & Klaassen. Might loan him out in january see how he gets on then

[SwedenYid]

6 hours ago, Lufcberg22 said:

Anyone got anything out of Boufal yet? i know he starts injured at the start but when he comes back where does he fit in? Ive Depay, Tadic, Rodriguez, Redmond & Klaassen. Might loan him out in january see how he gets on then

He's been poor for me, very anonymous displays when given the chance. I've tried him as a IF on the left wing and as a winger on the right wing and got very mediocre performances in return. Not at all lived up the hype from irl.

[Lufcberg22]

ive just got to january first season im sitting 6th but about 8pts off 4th. im going to loan him out until end of the season then reavaluate him. Hopefully bring in a couple of players. Im hoping for some good youth intake aswell when it comes round

[Lufcberg22]

Season 16/17

 

Board expected a top half finish which i thought was very capable. Ended up finishing 6th great season. I was 3 points off 4th with 4 games left but 2 draws knocked me back, i just couldnt keep up with spurs and liverpool. But a great season in the EPL.

 

What a run in the Europa League we had. Getting to the QF was excellent. Coming up against some big clubs. We knocked out Schalke in the Knockout stages aswell. But We couldnt beat the Spanish outfit to progress to the SF. Hopefully next year we achive one better or maybe more.

 

These where my 16/17 transfers. Depay was probs my best player last season, Scoring 19 goals and assisting 14 but United wont sell. They rejected a £20m so hes gone back sadly which is a huge blow. Suat Serdar is only a young player which i sent out on loan first season & just sent him out against in the 17/18 season to Valencia with good game time. Davy Klaassen was my number 1 target and i got him. Great stats for a Attacking Midfielder creating and scoring lots of goals. Holded of big clubs for him. 2nd half of the season i need a few more players as Europe was taking its toll on fitness. Wonderkid Moussa Dembele joing from Celtic. This lad will big a hero at the club. He has bags of potential at only the age of 20!. Next signing was a fantastic one. I needed stabilty along side Van Dyke so i picked up Cahill for a good price. Since he Came in the defence has been solid! Ive gave him the captains armband for the 17/18 season. Ive alot of young players coming through so hopefully they will see more game time in the new season.

 

Stand Out players

 

Stadium has also been extended with another 13,500 seats being put in. Exciting times for this young saints squad.

 

[Ugeine]

On 1/4/2017 at 11:10, Lufcberg22 said:

Anyone got anything out of Boufal yet? i know he starts injured at the start but when he comes back where does he fit in? Ive Depay, Tadic, Rodriguez, Redmond & Klaassen. Might loan him out in january see how he gets on then

He never really made it into my first team plans. He starts out inured and always seem to be playing catch up after that, by the time his tactical familiarity had risen to an acceptable level I was playing a 4-4-1-1 and he was kept out of the side by Nathan Redmond on the right.  After a mediocre first season I managed to get about 14 million from Marseille for him.  

[Ugeine]

I'd be interested to see how you used Charlie Austin, I couldn't get him playing consistently.  Managed about 12 goals and an average rating of 6.70 if I remember correctly.  

[Lufcberg22]

32 minutes ago, Ugeine said:

I'd be interested to see how you used Charlie Austin, I couldn't get him playing consistently.  Managed about 12 goals and an average rating of 6.70 if I remember correctly.  

He played a couple of different types of striker. AF & CF (s). If your playing inside forwards then its hard for him to get the service. I used Depay (IF) & Redmond (w) but one thing i did find useful was the full backs. Depending on who you are using i used Bertrand (left) & Cedric (right) make sure you get them bombing down them wings they will get alot more assist. But like i said depending on what formation you are using.

[Lufcberg22]

Season 17/18 transfer (summer window)

 

(click on picture for clearer view)

 

So after finishing 6th last season i think this year i can push a little bit more and aim for a top 4 finish. I know its going to be a solid challenge but who knows?! Look at leicester IRL.  Wanted a couple of players who has EPL experience to go along side my Young stars. Fellaini was brought in for a good fee. Will play him as a Box to Box midfielder. Callum Chambers rejoined as abit of depth in the defence department on loan. Michy Batshuayi also joined on loan from Chelsea to provide cover for Austin & Moussa Dembele. Last in was Dahoud from BMG. Part Ex with Jordy Clasie who didnt enjoy the EPL and wanted to move on. I think i got the best deal.

[Ugeine]

On 1/9/2017 at 11:25, Lufcberg22 said:

He played a couple of different types of striker. AF & CF (s). If your playing inside forwards then its hard for him to get the service. I used Depay (IF) & Redmond (w) but one thing i did find useful was the full backs. Depending on who you are using i used Bertrand (left) & Cedric (right) make sure you get them bombing down them wings they will get alot more assist. But like i said depending on what formation you are using.

Yeah, I found that when I started with a 4-2-3-1, so I switched to a 4-4-1-1 with Ward Prowse as a wide midfielder on the left and Redmond as a winger on the right.  I'd have Bertrand / Targett as a wingback on attack down the left for the easier matches though, and that seemed to help.  Problem was my tactics meant he was receiving the ball to his feet a lot, and would try and fail to dribble past people. His dribbling stat isn't the best, took me a season to work that out!

Seems like you had a good first season though, I could only manage 8th.  Really hoping to push on this season.  Good shout on Dembele, just started scouting him, he looks like he might be able to help with my forward problems.

[Lufcberg22]

Im getting the best out of JWP playing him as a AP (s) with Klassenn CM (a) but no with me bringing Fellaini in give him that bit for freedom to get further up the pitch

[Ronaldo Beckham]

Hiya started a new Saints save, just wondering what is the Southampton Way of managing that someone posted in in an old Southampton team thread, might have been a few years a go, was set rules on playing certain amount of youth, selling players etc.

[shabloz77]

Wanted to start a save with them, thanks for the presentation though there has been some changes with the database update and January transfers. To keep things interesting in the long run and as I just come off an Athletic Bilbao save, my idea is to limit myself in buying only youth British players or U18 (so they can be considered club-grown later on). Will keep you posted.

[Armistice]

I don't know who to keep at the club between Targett and McQueen, both are very similar in CA and PA. Any suggestions?