MAIL ON SUNDAY: The five-year plan which has helped Southampton target top four spot

[Saint-Armstrong]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2888728/The-five-year-plan-helped-Southampton-target-four-spot.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[Whitey Grandad]

Nice article. Shame they can't tell the difference between Reed and Ward-Prowse.

[The Kraken]

James Ward-Prowse has changed in appearance since I last saw him.

[Goatboy]

James Ward-Prowse has changed in appearance since I last saw him.

 

#chunk

[Dr Who?]

If they got the players right, that would be a great article, but I get the idea. Fantastic achievement. 3 points from the next 2 games will be good anything more a bonus!

[Coxford_lou]

Strange time to be reviewing the 5 year strategy...again... But I never get tired of it. Really was a fairy tale.

[angelman]

If they got the players right, that would be a great article, but I get the idea. Fantastic achievement. 3 points from the next 2 games will be good anything more a bonus!

 

I think that you are probably right. We need to be consistently taking points off the top 6. I know that we have got results off of them but it's not consistent enough to take the next step up. Maybe we have hit our glass ceiling. Can we smash through it? Look back at the 5 year plan when we were languishing at the bottom of L1 and would you have thought it realistic that we would be where we are today? Personally no. Maybe our time in L1, but nPc was a bit of a surprise as fully expected 2-3 years if not more. And now in the PL? I look at it and think blimey. First year was happy to be there, but last season and this, we seem to be at the top of the rest. I get the feeling that it is now expected of us to be knocking on the door of the top teams (ie finish 7-10). How the hell has that happened? You look at other teams who have been in PL for longer than us, and they don't really get the same expectation. Villa, NUFC, Stoke, WBA etc. OK Villa and NUFC are different from others as they are BIG clubs and the biggest of the rest, but the general expectation (from pundits) of them is lower than us. It seems that WHU are now quite similar.

 

I do realise how fickle everything is. Pre-City game, we were being talked about as CL. Our bad run of games, and we had been replaced by WHU and we were has beens. Win 2 on the trot, go above WHU, and we are back challenging for a CL spot. And let's not forget being favourites for relegation.

 

All in all, I think that I have a good amount of man love for Ronald.

[Goatboy]

I think that you are probably right. We need to be consistently taking points off the top 6. I know that we have got results off of them but it's not consistent enough to take the next step up. Maybe we have hit our glass ceiling. Can we smash through it? Look back at the 5 year plan when we were languishing at the bottom of L1 and would you have thought it realistic that we would be where we are today? Personally no. Maybe our time in L1, but nPc was a bit of a surprise as fully expected 2-3 years if not more. And now in the PL? I look at it and think blimey. First year was happy to be there, but last season and this, we seem to be at the top of the rest. I get the feeling that it is now expected of us to be knocking on the door of the top teams (ie finish 7-10). How the hell has that happened? You look at other teams who have been in PL for longer than us, and they don't really get the same expectation. Villa, NUFC, Stoke, WBA etc. OK Villa and NUFC are different from others as they are BIG clubs and the biggest of the rest, but the general expectation (from pundits) of them is lower than us. It seems that WHU are now quite similar.

 

I do realise how fickle everything is. Pre-City game, we were being talked about as CL. Our bad run of games, and we had been replaced by WHU and we were has beens. Win 2 on the trot, go above WHU, and we are back challenging for a CL spot. And let's not forget being favourites for relegation.

 

All in all, I think that I have a good amount of man love for Ronald.

 

Excellent post.

[SaintTex]

Southampton 5 years ago tomorrow was in 13th place in League One.

 

Chelsea 5 years ago tomorrow was in 1st place in the Premier League.

 

It's all gravy. No pressure today.

[red&white56]

Southampton 5 years ago tomorrow was in 13th place in League One.

 

Chelsea 5 years ago tomorrow was in 1st place in the Premier League.

 

It's all gravy. No pressure today.

 

So true, let's enjoy it and let's not implode on here of we lose!

[Redslo]

Southampton 5 years ago tomorrow was in 13th place in League One.

 

Chelsea 5 years ago tomorrow was in 1st place in the Premier League.

 

It's all gravy. No pressure today.

 

I think we should all be surprised by Chelsea's stunning lack of progress over the past five years.

[whelk]

I don't get why bookies have us as so significantly shorter odds than West Ham for everything. Odds on for top 6.

[Batman]

as someone pointed out.

I think it is because we have many of those near us to play at home yet..

 

Swansea

west ham

Arsenal

Liverpool

Spurs

 

where as west ham have more of those around them to play away (I think)

 

 

we are pretty strong at home too

Edited 28 December, 2014 by Batman

[davefizzy14]

Very good read that. COYR

[DuncanRG]

So...what's the five year plan?

[Patrick Bateman]

Good read and good Reed!

[Golden Balls]

So...what's the five year plan?

 

To finish above "the rest" outside the massive clubs and capitalise if one slips up, win silverware and qualify for Europe.