Southampton Strangling Opposition

Article by Southampton Correspondent Mark Middleton

As a Saints fan, I guess I shouldn't be surprised as the team plays in a way no other Premier League team plays. If the opposition doesn't change its practiced patterns they will be strangled and Fulham were strangled, slowly and without mercy. If I have one criticism of Pochettino's way of playing, it would be that Saints don't try and reduce the opposition to tears by scoring more goals. They always seem happy to win the game and then relax, perhaps a way of conserving energy for the next game.

I was hoping at the start of the season for a top ten finish with eighth being a realistic target, but after close to 25% of the season competed, I think a top six finish is a possibility. I know fans across the land that know the Saints of old will be sceptical, and there are many Saints fans in this group, as the club have made a habit of seizing failure from the jaws of victory, but since Cortese took over the club, those failures have become less common.

To Saturday night, I really hate 5.30 p.m. kickoffs as it takes an age to get out of the city and living in London now means I can't get home to watch Sky's 'game of the day'. But, I love night games, with the lights and atmosphere turning a routine game into an experience to be savoured. St Mary's isn't the Dell, where the breath of the fans would make the opposing players hairs stand up on the back of their necks, but it's still intimidating when playing a Pochettino team.

I must admit I was a little worried before kickoff, you know great goals like London buses come along in bunches and Fulham scored a couple of crackers and looked very comfortable strolling around Selhurst Park. But after five minutes it was a matter of how many not if we would score and the performance sent a message to the big clubs that they will need to take the Saints very seriously.

Lots of nice things have been said about Southampton in the last week or so, but something that struck me was how Pochettino puts the players in positions where they can use their natural gifts to shine. No better example of this is with James Ward Prowse.

JWP in my opinion will not just play for England in the next year or so, but will go on to captain his country, he's a level headed boy, hard worker, articulate and a born leader. Pochettino should be congratulated for getting an 18 year old on dead balls and having him position himself in space about 30 yards from goal where he can ping in pin point crosses to Lambert. Another example is now he uses Nathaniel Clyne. NC is quick, resilient, fit as a butchers dog and a ball winner, so he's used as a wide midfielder with Saints in possession, you don't see NC dropping deep in case the ball is lost, this means his attributes are maximised and if Saints lose possession he's quick enough to recover.

So, an impressive 2-0 win, with no clear man of the match, there were so many good performances with everyone doing their jobs outstandingly. If I did have to pick just one, I'd go for Victor Wanyama who didn't give the ball away and just dominated anyone fool enough to enter his space. There will definitely be tougher games, so bring them on.

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