It has been 41 years since Southampton won any major trophy. Over the years, the team has tried different combinations of players and strategies to break that drought. This year, Southampton has a strong team. They have performed beautifully in the Premier League despite recent challenges. They also reached the final of the EFL Cup before being defeated by Manchester United.
Now, board members are trying to avoid breaking the team in an attempt to remain strong for the next series of competitions. Will the team be able to regain its former glory and win its first trophy in years?
The Defeat Against Manchester United
We can’t really talk about Southampton without talking about the final EFL Cup match against Manchester United. Despite losing the match, it is obvious that the team is playing better as a whole. Players like Forster and Lewis are beginning to show their best performances.
Gabbiadini scored two goals in the match. The first one was during injury time in the first half. Southampton was down by 2 goals, and Gabbiadini’s goal brought the team’s spirit back. Just minutes into the second half, he scored another goal; this time an equalizer.
The team played beautifully throughout the match, but Manchester United – Zlatan Ibrahimovic in particular – were just luckier. Ibrahimovic scored another goal just 3 minutes before the final whistle and the dream of picking up an EFL Cup trophy was gone.
Gabbiadini would have scored a hat-trick if it weren’t for a questionable offside decision earlier in the match. Had the 2 nd half ended with a 3-3 draw, the final game could have had a different ending.
But the signs are difficult to miss. Southampton has a very capable team; one that works together like clockwork. It is interesting to see how far the team and all its key players can go.
Great Premier League Performance
The EFL Cup final was not the only bright moment for the team this season. Despite some losses, Southampton is currently in 10th position in the Premier League standings, just 3 points behind Stoke City. This is not a bad accomplishment, considering Southampton have only played 27 games so far – Stoke City have played 29 games.
Out of the 27 games played, the team have had 9 victories, 6 draws and 12 losses. Compared to last season, signs of progress are pretty apparent. All of these are further proof that the team is working; the reason it is working is because team members, including key players, are playing well together.
A Long Journey Ahead
The night of the EFL Cup match, Katharina Liebherr arranged for everyone to stay in London regardless of the match result. She then delivered what was a truly heartfelt plea for the team to stay together and for it to use the EFL Cup experience as a stepping stone for better future performances. She could barely contain her pride and happiness that night.
Team manager Claude Puel and his players have what it takes to be successful. The experience they brought home from Wembley should prepare them even better for future challenges.
Southampton is set to meet rivals such as West Brom, Manchester City and Chelsea in the coming weeks. These are capable teams, but Southampton now have a lot to offer. If you see the Bet365 information page 2017 season, Southampton have a very good chance of finishing in the top-half of the Premier League this season.
“We would like to keep this group together,” said team chairman Ralph Krueger. “We don’t want to do what we did in the last three summers every year. We would like to move away from that and we feel confident this summer will be a lot quieter in Southampton and we can keep the core of this team moving forward for a few years.”
