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Southampton: Potential XI for 2013/14 season


Bailey
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With the additions of Dejan Lovren & now Victor Wanyama, I'm interested to see what people think our best XI is at present. Hypothetically, if we were playing West Brom tomorrow, what XI would you choose? For me, I like the looks of this:

 

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Subs: K. Davis, Yoshida, Cork, S. Davis, Ward-Prowse, Puncheon, Mayuka.

 

That bench highlights how we're lacking strength in depth in certain positions, particularly upfront, though with two or three further additions I think we'll be in very good shape ahead of the new season. Thoughts?

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I suspect our first 11 may not include Lambert next season. We seem to be looking at some pretty hefty signings to lead the line and JRod is also up and coming. Don't think Lallana would be in my first choice team either.

 

A front 6 of something like

 

- - - - - Cork - VW

 

Ramirez - Morgan - JRod/Lallana

 

- - - - - Osvaldo/Damiao/Other delete as applicable

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I can't make my mind up about Lallana. He has fantastic close control, but doesn't seem to have the required end product.

I think perhaps a quality additional signing could see him sidelined.

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Lallana will be an interesting one. Personally think he'll play if he's fit this season, and will still be skipper. Personally don't agree with that, but think Cortese wants an academy graduate to be the skipper as it sets a good example. We shall see. Puncheon was far more effective than Adam last season IMO.

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Lallana will be an interesting one. Personally think he'll play if he's fit this season, and will still be skipper. Personally don't agree with that, but think Cortese wants an academy graduate to be the skipper as it sets a good example. We shall see. Puncheon was far more effective than Adam last season IMO.

 

Over the course of the season Puncheon was probably better, however Lallana wasn't the same after his injury - he kept getting little knocks and could never find his rhythm, and I don't blame him for that whatsoever. It was only back in early December when he got the serious injury against Reading that Saints fans declared it the end of the world and said we'd get relegated. The anxiety was off the scale. You don't go from a player who has that sort of influence on the team to one who isn't good enough for the team after one injury followed by indifferent form caused by a number of reasons.

 

I'm not saying Lallana should be an automatic choice by any means - it is important we have competition and genuine options for the team, but all things being equal (i.e. he isn't carry knocks etc.) I would imagine Lallana would be a starter and would be so on merit. There is definitely more to come from him and he shouldn't blindly play, but lets not use the last 3 months of the season as a guide as to what he has to offer going forward.

 

However, I'll agree on the Captaincy piece. I think there is an element of seniority to him given the age of our team and the fact he sets a great example of what the club wants to achieve, but on the pitch I think Schneiderlin and Lambert can wear the armband to greater effect.

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I know he tailed off a bit towards the end of the season but I would still insist on playing Lambert. His influence, leadership and vision was exceptional at times last season. The difficulty is where does he fit in with our proposed structure? As a lone striker he lacks the pace and dexterity to be a real threat, but if we were to play him up front with a partner then we loose a structure capable of utilising Ramirez effectively.

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----------------------------------Boruc------------------------------------

 

---Clyne------------Yoshida---------------------Lovren---------------Shaw--

--------------------------------Schneiderlin----------------------------------

----------------Wanyama---------------------------Lallana------------------

----------------------------------Ramirez-----------------------------------

-------------------NEW/Jayrod--------------------SRL----------------------

 

For me.

 

p.s. love the "Southampton" in thread title, just in case we were wondering what team the OP meant. :facepalm:

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I feel for Punch. He was one of our more creative players last season yet it seems he is going to not make many appearances :(

 

I don't really get this he only really ever played well and in my opinion was a much greater threat than Ramirez, fast, direct and his long shots actually tested the opposition keeper. Yet my understanding is we're after another winger with pace? I really like punch and think he deserves his shout as more than an unused sub

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Also is it he general assumption that lovers will walk straight into the back four alongside yosh? I don't know much about him so don't know his standard and strengths, but seems we may have a very slow central pairing at the back if this is the case?

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I agree it's too soon to start predicting starting line ups, especially still with a month and a half of the transfer window remaining (and over a month until the first Premier League game).

 

Hypothetically though, as the squad stands, it'd probably be Boruc, Clyne, Lovren, Jos, Shaw, Morgan, Wanyama, Lallana, Ramirez, JRod, Lambert. Subs: Gazzaniga, Yoshida, Fox, Cork, Davis, Puncheon, Mayuka.

 

I still think we'll see a winger/AM and a striker brought in at the very least, with possibly another centre back to follow. I know from earlier in the summer we were targetting a right back too, with the loss of Richardson and Butterfield, as competition to Clyne, so I wonder if that will still happen. Happy with the squad otherwise. Eventually if we want to push for Europe we'll need another top keeper IMO.

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I know he tailed off a bit towards the end of the season but I would still insist on playing Lambert. His influence, leadership and vision was exceptional at times last season. The difficulty is where does he fit in with our proposed structure? As a lone striker he lacks the pace and dexterity to be a real threat, but if we were to play him up front with a partner then we loose a structure capable of utilising Ramirez effectively.

 

Agreed. People are being influenced purely on his age In think. I reckon there is a couple more seasons in him yet. Just look at last seasons stats. More touches in the box than any other striker bar two I believe. Toward thend of the season, Poch decided we did not have the squad to maintain this high pressing game and got a bit nervous with other teams around us suddenly finding form. So we ended up playing a bit deeper at times which isolated Rickie a bit. that is the only reason his performances dropped off. He has come back as fit as ever and apparently one of the best performers on the VO2Max tests.

 

I like the first team put up. Don't feel so concerned about the bench as others, there is strength there and the game normally gives 14 players a decent run out so they will see plenty of match time.

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