Another positive article - in Swiss press

[Zurichsaint]

http://www.nzz.ch/aktuell/sport/fussball/southampton-bleibt-am-ball-1.18192193 (Original language version, for any German speakers)

 

Long Southampton has been portrayed as a bad example of what happens when foreign owners relentlessly chase success. The picture has changed.

 

by Hanspeter Künzler

 

No one would have dared the prophecy at the beginning of the season, the top game in the twelfth round Arsenal would come across Southampton. That the Saints here been cheated on (0:2), was not a surprise - but it was not self-evident.

 

This Southampton stuck in January is still greatly in crisis. In their first season back in the top flight they seemed doomed to relegation. Here, the young English coach Nigel Adkins enjoyed all around greatest sympathies. Given the dwindling number of top English coaches he made a rare bright spot. Only 28 months ago, yet the Saints had Rank 22 is in the third division. Football romantics everywhere on the island wished him nothing but success. And indeed, the tide seemed to turn. Just had wrested Chelsea at Stamford Bridge a draw. But just then, as the first rays of the sun appeared above the horizon, Adkins was discharged. Instead his Argentine Mauricio Pochettino, who could hardly speak English came.

 

Spring Awakening

A few weeks Southampton was portrayed as an evil example of what happens when foreign owners without feeling for the English football culture mercilessly nachhecheln success. After relegation from the Premier League in 2005, the club had made the classic mistake of putting everything on its chances of promotion. The company failed, the resulting financial gap led to insolvency and relegation to the third tier.

 

In July 2009, the club was taken over by Swiss businessman Markus Liebherr discrete. That he (had the last paid out of pocket the wages of employees) to Matt Le Tissier folk hero here ausbremste who also wanted to take over the club saw in the eyes of the English not good. Died only when Liebherr in October 2010 and it turned out that he had secured the survival of the club financially and legally for years to come, the picture changed somewhat. But with the dropping of Adkins's image was slipped back into the basement.

 

Pochettino and youth

The 41-year-old former international Argentinian Mauricio Pochettino, who had previously worked at Espanyol, was seventeen years among the regulars of Newell's Old Boys. The confidence that there gave him the coach Bielsa, characterizes it today.

 

"You have to give young players the chance to play. Only then can they take self-confidence and be better, "he says. The young talent was already in the eighties and nineties, when the club held continuously for 27 years in the top flight, the strength of Southampton. Even during the difficult years of players like Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Gareth Bale emerged from the youth development. Meanwhile, the young talents must not be sold. The first team includes many former Junior unlike most other top clubs.

 

Thanks to the initially unpopular arrangement of Pochettino, frequently working out include the Saints become one of the fittest players in the Premier League. The intense Pressing already in the attacking half brings an exciting tempo game. At the same time harmonizes the interplay between defense and midfield: Only seven goals one has suffered. All other clubs are in the double digits.

 

Translated by google - not me!

 

I guess that the journalist has been fed much of this by NC, so it is interesting to read his slant on things, especially the Adkins sacking, and the rather confusing bit about Le Tiss paying the wages, which I am not aware is true.

 

Still, it is nice to see us getting more publicity overseas.