Photos and Screenshots in this article come from Lineup11 and Stats Zone FourFourTwo. You can download both for free in the app store.
Southampton’s match Sunday versus Newcastle United was an interesting match with a lot of back and forth. Most media outlets report of the match seemed to outline a rejuvenated Newcastle side and mention the good performances of the squad’s new arrivals. Rightly so, Newcastle controlled possession most of the match and consistently threatened a shaky Saints defence. Wijnaldum and Mbemba seemed to fit in well into the side and Mitrovic spent no time allowing fans to question his aggression or as Steve McClaren put it, “a little bit of the devil” with a brutal tackle on Matt Targett within seconds of being subbed on. Newcastle did look significantly improved, however the Saints defense looked confused and out of position, especially during the first half, which is out of character for Ronald Koeman’s side. The side sturggled to posses the ball well and attacks seemed to only come from the right, which could be problematic in the future. I’ll delve deeper into these topics below.
Line-up
Southampton lined-up similarly to the majority of last year tactics wise, but new faces filled in missing parts and recent departures. Stekelenburg in goal as he should be until Forster recovers in a few months. Targett and Cedric started as the full backs and pushed up the sides similarly to Clyne and Bertrand last year. Fonte and Yoshida completed the back four; the miscommunications between the pair were worrisome. Davis and big Vic held down the defensive midfielder roles with Wanyama taking on the distributor role while Davis took on the workhorse who acted as a wall in front of the defence (seen most vividly when taking a shot to the chest early in the game). Rodriguez and Tadic operated the wings while Mane played in the number 10 role often pushing up to press Newcastle’s defence with Pelle and rarely tracking back. Pelle rounded out the starting XI as the sole striker.
The lineup is definitely reminiscent of last year, yet it was not as effective. Newcastle’s powerful wingers caused a good deal of chaos on the flanks and were rewarded with two goals. The Koeman brothers may need to reassess the lineup until Bertrand returns and teach Cedric to not to leave his area so exposed. The more the back line plays together the less confusion there will be like Sunday.
First half
Cedric, who I thought looked like one of the better signings this window during preseason looked like a right winger yesterday, not a full back. Although superb on attack, he failed to track back and was caught out of position often in the first half, being forced into a few reckless challenges. The substitution at halftime was completely warranted and most likely stemmed from his yellow card. Targett was simply overpowered and outpaced by Sissoko in the first half who created several opportunities driving down the left side. Fonte and Yoshida both seemed confused and awkward at times, particularly unusual adjectives to associate with Fonte.
Defensive midfield played the best of any position group on the field. Wanyama had a typically good showing while Davis acted as the energizer for the team, constantly covering for other positions, pressing, tackling and intercepting. More performances like this could lead to him challenging Jordy Clasie for a starting role. I can’t decide if I think Davis is overrated or underrated, but he definitely had a great performance Sunday.
The wingers had two completely different days. Tadic did great and looked to be back in form and created the most chances of any one on the pitch.
Rodriguez on the other hand looked rusty and not physically ready for the game. Daryl Janmaat consistently made life hard for Jay, and Matt Targett did not help. Not much creativity on the left side of the field until Shane Long came on later. Mane looked superb. Newcastle were most vulnerable when he was on the ball, and this was shown when he found Cedric on the right who whipped the ball into Pelle for the opening goal. Also Jack Colback’s challenge on Mane was hilarious. Pelle, with the exception of his goal was quiet in the first half and rarely touched the ball. Some of this can be attributed to Newcastle controlling the game though. Saints did not do well to retain possession at all. The strategy of linking play on the wings did well on the right, but lacked on the left. Players often held onto the ball too long which lead to turnovers and Pelle not receiving the ball. After the first half he had as many away goals as all of last year.
Second Half
Southampton took a new approach at halftime: try and work through the center of the pitch instead of the wings where they were being most exposed. The message from Erwin Koeman must have been more passing through the middle and get the ball to Mane. There was noticeably more build up play, particularly later in the half. I wonder if he gave his healing brother a call… The substitution of Cedric was unquestioned and Martina did ok, nothing stellar as he was given a more defensive role. Nothing changed for Targett at halftime and his bad positioning and hesitation led to the Wijnaldum goal. Around the 60 minute mark he improved but this could be due to the opponent’s fatigue. Disappointing performance for a highly touted youth player that was given an opportunity to excel in the absence of Bertrand. Fonte and Yoshida improved, but more will be expected from them in the future. Fans, myself included, still yearn for another centre back who will consistently start. Davis and Wanyama continued their good performances in midfield. Jay continued to struggle up top which makes me worried. I could see Ward-Prowse move into the line-up as a solution if this continues. Shane Long’s substitution added a new dimension to the Saints attack adding the equalizing goal. Tadic did superb the entire game. Looks like vintage early 2014-15 Tadic, hopefully he can keep up the great performances and stay healthy unlike last year. Mane continues to perform and is at times the most creative and skillful player on the field. Still a very raw talent, if he works on his finishing he could be a Premier League star. In the second half he had 5 out of 7 take ons and the most likely result is a threatening attack. The hat trick last year was not a fluke.
Pelle kept pressing and was a nice complement to the other attacking players with his massive presence. Made a good run behind the defence although it was offside. With a squad full of fast players defenders forget about Pelle who makes smart runs now and then. The squad appeared to improve its level around the 60th minute, or maybe Newcastle just dropped off a bit, but it is reassuring that the squad did not look winded considering the Vitesse match early in the week.
Conclusion
Southampton had several bright spots. Most believe the match should have gone in Newcastle’s favor, however I believe Southampton had more truly threatening chances. Cedric had a terrific chance in the first half after he magically got through a cluster of defenders. Tim Krul’s save on Maya Yoshida’s save was an underrated incredible effort and a centimeter away from a goal. Mané had two great breakaways in stoppage time, but both inches away. Although Newcastle controlled the game, they had fewer shots and fewer shots on target.
The problem area is defense. The center backs need to communicate better about covering for the high pressing full backs. The full backs need to improve as well. Stekelenburg did well and I don’t think that either goal was his fault, he looked comfortable. Defensive midfield looks like a strength despite the departure of Morgan Schneiderlin. I can see Steven Davis and Jordy Clasie splitting time in the midfield with the extra fixtures in Europe. Jay Rodriguez was the only attacking player that lacked energy and creativity. Working him back into the squad as a regular will take time and patience. Mane, Pelle, and Tadic are locks in the team sheet when they are healthy.
Southampton come back to St. Mary’s on Saturday to take on Everton at 1:00.
Feature Image – Getty Images/Stu Forster
