Saints Marching
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Marching On: 7 Keys to Southampton’s Success This Season

By Aaron Preston

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - MAY 15: General view of St Mary's Stadium as the teams walk out prior to the Barclays Premier League match between Southampton and Crystal Palace at St Mary's Stadium on May 15, 2016 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - MAY 15: General view of St Mary's Stadium as the teams walk out prior to the Barclays Premier League match between Southampton and Crystal Palace at St Mary's Stadium on May 15, 2016 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images) /
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GRONINGEN, NETHERLANDS – JULY 30: Head coach Claude Puel of Southampton shouts during the friendly match between FC Groningen an FC Southampton at Euroborg Stadium on July 30, 2016 in Groningen, Netherlands. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)
GRONINGEN, NETHERLANDS – JULY 30: Head coach Claude Puel of Southampton shouts during the friendly match between FC Groningen an FC Southampton at Euroborg Stadium on July 30, 2016 in Groningen, Netherlands. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images) /

2. Master the High Press
Every manager has their own philosophy, which means a new system to learn and adapt to. If preseason friendlies are any indication, Southampton’s new boss Claude Puel will be employing a fluid 4-4-2 diamond with a high press, crash-the-box focus. Done right, it makes for attractive, high-scoring football and could end up similar to what former Southampton and current Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino runs. In this sense it should be familiar—in substance if not formation—to the veterans of the Southampton squad.

Like all formations, though, it requires a certain type of player; in this case, a pace-y, creative group up front. To make it work, Southampton are going to have to show they can live up to this standard. They’ll also have to have enough flexibility to adapt when faced with bus-parking defensive teams, Spurs’ nemesis last year.

The good news here is that so far, the system seems to work. Southampton are being forced into a more creative, physically-attractive line of work than they got by with under the Koeman regime, but an unbeaten run in preseason friendlies seems to indicate they can adapt and overcome.

Shane Long’s goal against Athletic Bilbao in the most recent friendly is a good example of how the system works when done well. A high field press to harry the defense and draw them forward, coupled with a timely through ball to release the natural pace of Southampton’s attacking third and set up an easy one-on-one with the keeper. If the club can do that as well this season as they have this summer, there should be no problem here.

Next: Marching On to Europe