Southampton v Ipswich Town
Saturday 4th January 2015 15:00
St Mary’s
Opening Thought – Jamma
If a team’s promotion chances can be assessed from the number of footballing clichés that are used to talk about them, Ipswich Town are looking set for continued success in the second half of 2014/15. Mick McCarthy has already been trotting out the old favourites ‘We’re just taking one game at a time’ and ‘Nothing is won in December’, on the back of the recent unbeaten run. And after our latest win, against Charlton on Tuesday night, another one comes to mind. It is often said that a sign of a good side is one which wins without playing at its best. Although the 3-0 victory was ultimately as comfortable as the scoreline suggests, the Blues didn’t have things all their own way, with Charlton enjoying good spells at the beginning of both halves. In a way, it was just as satisfying seeing the team digging in and soaking up this early pressure as it had been witnessing them taking the game to Brentford four days before. This proved Town’s ability to respond to different situations and secure the result, another crucial characteristic required of all successful sides. Not for the first time this season, it was difficult to single out a Man of the Match, with David McGoldrick’s sustained assault on the Addicks’ woodwork – and eventual fully deserved goal – just about seeing him clinch the award. In truth, you could have made a case for a number of players, from Bartosz Bialkowski’s crucial intervention at 1-0, through another impressive defensive showing to Daryl Murphy’s typically selfless running and hold-up play. Apologies for resorting to yet another cliché but this really is a team that is more than a sum of its parts.
December has been another near flawless month, including invaluable wins against two of our fellow promotion chasers. The importance of these results could conceivably tip the balance in favour of McCarthy for the latest instalment of Manager of the Month, which is fast becoming a head-to-head competition with Eddie Howe. The Bournemouth boss is likely to take the honours this time around, having overseen 5 league wins out of 5, with an aggregate of 17 goals scored. We should be able to put all thoughts of the curse aside, then, as our attention turns to a mouth-watering FA Cup tie against a Southampton side enjoying a good run of form themselves. There will be question marks over the team selections for both clubs, with Derby the next visitors to Portman Road and the Saints in the middle of a run of fixtures featuring Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United. As reflected by the 5,500 away tickets sold, this should be a match-up to enjoy and, dare I say it, a chance to test ourselves against the quality of opposition we could be regularly lining up against next season...
The Opposition – Southampton
The club was founded on 21 November 1885 by members of the St Mary's Church of England Young Men's Association.
After winning the Southern League title in 1896–97, the club became a limited company and was renamed Southampton F.C.
Southampton won the Southern League championship for three years running between 1897 and 1899 and again in 1901, 1903 and 1904.
That success spanned some major changes for the Saints as they moved to a newly built £10,000 stadium called The Dell, to the North-West of the city centre in 1898.
Before the 19th century was out the South Coast was given a taste of things to come as they reached the first of their four FA Cup Finals in 1900.
After the First World War, Saints joined the newly formed Football League Third Division in 1920. The 1921–22 season ended in triumph with promotion and marked the beginning of a 31-year stay in Second Division.
The 1922–23 season was a unique "Even Season" – 14 wins, 14 draws, 14 defeats for a total of 42 points, or one point per game. Goals For and Against were also equal and the team finished in mid-table.
Saints were briefly forced to switch home matches to the ground of their local rivals Portsmouth F.C. at Fratton Park during the Second World War when a bomb landed on The Dell pitch in November 1940, leaving an 18-foot crater which damaged an underground culvert and flooded the pitch.
Promotion was narrowly missed in 1947–48 when they finished in third place, a feat repeated in the next two seasons. Then relegation in 1953 sent Saints sliding back into Division 3 (South).
It took until 1960 for Saints to regain Second Division status and the dream of First Division football at The Dell for the first time was finally realised in 1966.
Saints stayed among the elite for eight years, with the highest finishing position being seventh place in 1968–69 and again in 1970–71.
In December 1973, long term manager Ted Bates stood down to be replaced by Lawrie McMenemy who was unable to prevent The Saints becoming the first victims of the new 3-down relegation system in 1974 when they were relegated, along with Manchester United and Norwich City.
Under Lawrie McMenemy's management, Saints started to rebuild in the Second Division, and what many people feel was the team's greatest moment came in 1976, when they won the FA Cup Final against Manchester United at Wembley.
In 1977–78 Saints finished runners-up in the Second Division and returned to the First Division.
In 1980, McMenemy made his biggest signing, capturing the European Footballer of the Year Kevin Keegan and in 1980–81 they scored 76 goals, finishing in sixth place. The following season, Kevin Keegan helped lift the club to the top of the First Division, but in a disappointing end to the season Southampton won only two of their last nine games and finished seventh.
Southampton continued to progress under McMenemy's stewardship, and reached their highest ever league finish as runners-up in 1983–84 and 5th the following season.
Lawrie McMenemy left at the end of the 1984–85 season to be succeeded by Chris Nicholl, who was sacked after six years in charge despite preserving the club's top flight status. He was replaced by Ian Branfoot. Southampton were founding members of the Premier League in 1992–93, having played in the top flight of English football since 1978.
Ian Branfoot was sacked in January 1994 with Southampton battling relegation. He was replaced by Alan Ball who secured the Saints' survival for the 1993–94 season and guided them to a tenth-place finish in the Premiership in 1994–95. David Merrington took charge when Ball left to take the Manchester City Managers role, only just keeping them up in the 1995-96 season. Merrington was dismissed a few days after the end of the season and replaced by Graeme Souness.
Southampton fared little better in 1996–97 and Souness resigned after just one season in charge and was replaced by Dave Jones who managed and kept them in the Premier League until he departed in the 1999-2000 season to be suceeded by Glen Hoddle.
In 1999, Southampton were given the go-ahead to build a new 32,000-seat stadium in the St Mary's area of the city, after playing in the Dell since 1898.
Glenn Hoddle helped keep Southampton well clear of the Premiership drop zone but having received an offer he moved to Tottenham Hotspur just before the end of the 2000–01 season. He was replaced by first-team coach Stuart Gray, who oversaw the relocation to the St Mary's Stadium for the 2001–02 season. Gray was sacked after a poor start to the following season, and he was replaced by Gordon Strachan.
Strachan did much to revitalise Southampton during the 2001–02 season, and they finished in a eleventh place in the final table, 8th the following season and 12th in Strachan’s last season in charge.
Strachan resigned in March 2004 (to take a break from football) and was replaced by Paul Sturrock, however, rumours of player dissatisfaction and personal problems dogged Sturrock, and he was replaced just five months later by reserve team coach Steve Wigley. Wigley's tenure proved disastrous, with Southampton slipping further and further down the Premiership table during 2004–05. Frenchman Christian Damiano was brought in to assist, but after a run of only one win in 14 games, both men's contracts were terminated.
Chairman Rupert Lowe risked the ire of Saints fans when he appointed Harry Redknapp who at the time was Manager of Saint’s arch rivals Portsmouth as manager on 8 December 2004. However, Redknapp's efforts were all in vain as Southampton were relegated from the Premier League on 15 May 2005, ending 27 successive seasons of top division football for the club.
Rumours gradually grew apace that Mandaric and Redknapp had resolved the dispute that caused Redknapp to walk out in the first place, and that he was poised to rejoin his former club which took place on the 3rd December 2005.
George Burley was unveiled as the club's new head coach on 23 December to work alongside Clive Woodward, who was promoted from Performance Director to Director of Football.
In the wake of overwhelming calls for him to stand down, Lowe eventually resigned on 30 June 2006. He was replaced as Chairman by Jersey-based businessman Michael Wilde who had become the club's major shareholder.
At one point during the 2005–06 season, Southampton were in real danger of a second successive relegation. But their form improved during the final weeks of the season and they finished a secure twelfth and the following season made the playoffs.
The 2007–08 season went much worse for Southampton with George Burley revealing that players such as Gareth Bale and Kenwyne Jones had to be sold to stop the club going into administration and that not getting promoted put the club in serious financial troubles. However, manager Burley left the club in January to take over as Scotland manager and in February Southampton appointed Nigel Pearson as manager who managed to keep them in the Championship on the last day of the season.
Even though Pearson kept the Saints up, the Southampton board did not renew his contract, because of financial constraints and the new board brought in the relatively unknown Dutchman Jan Poortvliet as manager. On 23 January 2009, Poortvliet resigned with the club one from bottom in the Championship, with Mark Wotte taking over managerial duties.
On 23 April 2009, Southampton were handed a 10 point deduction, following their parent company going into administration. This deduction ensured that Southampton were relegated from the Football League Championship and played the 2009–10 season in League One.
On 8 July 2009, the administrators confirmed that the club had been sold to a buyer "owned and controlled by Markus Liebherr".
On 17 July 2009, the club confirmed the appointment of Alan Pardew as the new First Team Manager who oversaw a £3 million spend on players, a significantly larger amount than any other League One club.
On 28 March 2010, Southampton won their first trophy since 1976 when they defeated Carlisle United at Wembley, to claim the Football League Trophy.
Southampton finished the 2009–10 season in 7th place, 7 points from the last play-off position in League One.
It was announced on 11 August 2010 that Markus Liebherr had died; however the club's future had been assured and planned for before Liebherr's death. On 30 August 2010, Alan Pardew was sacked as first team manager and On 12 September, Nigel Adkins was announced as the new Southampton manager who guided Saints back to the Championship.
On return to the Championship, Southampton made a strong start to the season to go top of the league and extend their winning run at St Mary's to 13 league games, creating a new club record. On Friday 13 April, Southampton lost 3–1 at home to fellow-challengers for promotion Reading in a match which effectively decided the Championship title. This was the Saints' first home defeat in the league since mid-January. The team however confirmed promotion to the Premier league with a 4–0 defeat of relegated Coventry.
The Saints' first season in the top flight since relegation in did not go well as Southampton conceded 24 goals in their first eight games and picked up just 4 points. Southampton's form improved as the season progressed and they climbed out of the relegation zone, Nigel Adkins was sacked amid controversy to be immediately replaced by Argentinian coach Mauricio Pochettino.
After Pochettino's arrival, Southampton recorded some impressive results, they finished the season in 14th place.
The following season Saints finished in their highest Premier League finish, finishing 8th, on 56 points.
Pochettino departed the club in the close season for Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur, and the club subsequently appointed Ronald Koeman as his replacement.
At the end of the 2013–14 season, Southampton made a number of high-profile sales, as well as purchases to replace the departing players. By the close of the transfer window, Southampton was one of only three Premier League sides to have finished its transfer dealings with a net positive balance – to the tune of in excess of £30 million.
One To Watch – Graziano Pellè
When Southampton sold five of their key performers from their successful 2013/14 campaign, apart from being left with a healthy bank balance, Saints fans were also left wondering just how they would be able to replace the likes of Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert. Step forward one prolific Italian striker...
Graziano Pellè has been one of the success stories of this season’s Premier League as, along with more illustrious Chelsea counterpart Diego Costa, he has taken to the English top tier like a duck to water. There may not have been too many fans of English football who had heard of the 29-year-old upon his arrival at St. Mary’s but Ronald Koeman was familiar with him, having previously managed him at both AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord. Pellè had arguably had more success on the international scene than in his early professional career in his homeland, where he never really settled as he took in various loan spells with clubs including Catania, Crotone and Cesena. For the Azzurri, on the other hand, he featured in the 2005 World Youth Championship and the 2007 European U21 Championship, as well as the 2008 end-of-season Toulon tournament.
In four seasons at Alkmaar, the striker scored just 16 times, giving no hint of his talents in front of goal. Following further temporary switches in 2011/12 to Parma and Sampdoria – with whom he won promotion to Serie A – Pellè took the chance to work with Koeman again, signing for Feyenoord on a season-long loan. This time, it didn’t take him long to get on the goal trail, as he scored a brace in his third appearance to kick-start a run of 15 goals in 14 games. This form continued into the second half of the season, by which time he had signed a permanent deal, and Pellè ended his first campaign with the Rotterdam club with 29 goals from 33 matches, securing Feyenoord 3rd place behind rivals Ajax and PSV Eindhoven. The team went one better last time out, clinching 2nd spot and a Champions League qualifying place, with the frontman finishing the season as the Eredivisie’s second top scorer for the second successive year. He arrived in England with pressure to replace the class of 2013/14 but is doing a good job of making sure Lallana, Lambert et al. aren’t missed too much.
The Gaffer – Ronald Koeman
In 1980 Koeman started his professional career at Groningen. After playing for Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and Barcelona, he finished his career in Feyenoord. During his career he won two European Cup titles, five Dutch championships, three Dutch Cups, four Spanish championships, one Spanish Cup and he was also in the winning Dutch national team at the UEFA Euro 1988.
His nicknames while playing for Barcelona were Tintin, due to his physical similarity with Hergé's fictional character, and Floquet de Neu, after the famous albino gorilla in the Barcelona Zoo. Ronald Koeman currently holds the record for 25 consecutive successful penalty conversions in La Liga.
He represented his nation in the 1990 World Cup and World Cup 1994, as well as Euro 1992 and picked up a total of 78 caps for The Netherlands.
Having retired as a player after his stint with Feyenoord, Koeman became a member of the coaching staff of Guus Hiddink during the 1998 World Cup. After the tournament Koeman was appointed the assistant coach of Barcelona. In 2000, he was handed his first managerial job as the head coach of Vitesse where he led the team to a UEFA Cup spot on a relatively limited budget.
Koeman was appointed the manager of Ajax in 2001. Ajax' fortunes suffered a steady decline after Koeman got off to a successful start at the Amsterdam ArenA, winning a domestic double in 2001–02. Despite regaining the title in 2003–04, Ajax had fallen eight points behind rivals PSV in the Eredivisie. Coupled with Ajax being knocked out of the UEFA Cup, lead Koeman to resign the following day on 25 February 2005.
Koeman bounced back quickly from a disappointing end to his reign at Ajax in February 2005, taking up the vacant position at Portuguese champions Benfica. At Benfica, Koeman won the Portuguese Super Cup, the team finished the Portuguese League in third place. This, along with an offer from PSV, sufficed for the manager to leave one year before the end of his contract.
In the 2006–07 season, Koeman served as head coach of PSV, as successor of Guus Hiddink, and won the Eredivisie on goal difference that season.
On 31 October 2007 Koeman agreed to be the new coach of Valencia. With Valencia he won the 2007–08 Spanish Cup, however the the remainder of his tenure at Valencia would prove disappointing, and he was sacked on 21 April 2008.
He was appointed manager of AZ on 18 May 2009 . On 5 December 2009, AZ announced that Koeman no longer was in charge of AZ, after losing 7 of the first 16 games in the Dutch competition.
On 21 July 2011, Koeman was appointed manager of Feyenoord, signing a one-year contract with the Dutch club. Through such appointment, Koeman has notably become the first man ever to serve as both player and head coach at all teams of the so-called "traditional big three" of Dutch football – Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord. In February 2014, Koeman announced that he would leave his position at Feyenoord at the end of the 2013-14 season to pursue other ambitions.
In June 2014 Koeman was announced as the replacement for Southampton F.C. manager Mauricio Pochettino, signing a three-year deal with the club.
Southampton's form in September led to Koeman being named Premier League Manager of the Month for September.
Past Match - Video Highlights - Trev
Trev's Trivia
Players to lay for both teams
Jim Magilton ITFC 1999-2006 SAINTS 1994-1997
David McGoldrick ITFC 2013-present SAINTS 2004-2009
Mick Mills ITFC 1966-1982 SAINTS 1985-1985
Media Watch - K L Blue
Ipswich boss confident Daryl Murphy will stay
Ipswich boss Mick McCarthy believes it would take a "bonkers offer" to prise free-scoring striker Daryl Murphy away from the club.
The powerful front man added a brace to his tally of 16 for the season in an emphatic 4-2 win at in-form Brentford.
His displays this season have led to rumours of a move away from Portman Road, but McCarthy will not let that enter his mind.
He said: "If we get a bonkers offer for him, it's beyond my control, but we are (temporarily) top of the league so why would we sell our best players?
"I'm not going to worry about it because it's something I can't effect."
Murphy gave his side the dream start after 19 seconds with a strike his manager admitted "changed the whole dynamic" of the game.
"To get a start like that against a team that's been dominant at home gives you a major advantage," McCarthy said.
"Brentford are a really good team and they were pressing to get back in the game, took chances and left Murph one on one which is always a mistake."
Murphy registered his and Town's second after just 21 minutes, outmuscling Tony Craig and rounding goalkeeper David Button to slot home, despite the defender's protests that he'd been clipped.
Paul Anderson slammed home former Bee Jay Tabb's low cross after half an hour and although substitute Sam Saunders scored two late consolations, Tommy Smith netted in-between to make sure the home side never threatened a comeback.
McCarthy, who said the gameplan to press Brentford high up worked to perfection, added: "At two down they were open. We were clinical today but that's not always been the case.
"Daryl is in a good vein of form and Tommy Smith isn't exactly known for chopping it back and bending it in the top corner."
Brentford boss Mark Warburton blamed three first half errors for the Tractor Boys' first-half blitz, but insisted there would be a reaction at Wolves on Sunday.
"To be three down at half-time against a side of that quality leaves you a mountain to climb, but we still looked to play and had some good passages of play," he said.
"There were three errors. We were hesitant and a little sloppy. I don't mind mistakes but we have to learn from them. They have had six shots on target and our keeper hasn't been tested in 90 minutes, which tells you a lot about the game."
He added: "We talked about imposing ourself and being brave before the game, but the early goal changed things and we looked tentative.
"That said, I'm pleased we have a game in two days to get it out of our system. Let's remember we are at Christmas with 40 points and in a good place."
Stat Time
Head To Head
Southampton Wins.........................21 (32.81%)
Ipswich Town Wins.........................24 (37.50%)
Draws........................................19 (29.69%)
Southampton Goals........................94 (Ave. 1.47 Per Match)
Ipswich Town Goals......................104 (Ave. 1.63 Per Match)
Head To Head at Southampton
Southampton Wins..........................12 (37.50%)
Ipswich Town Wins..........................9 (28.13%)
Draws.........................................11 (34.38%)
Southampton Goals.........................51 (Ave. 1.59 Per Match)
Ipswich Town Goals.........................47 (Ave. 1.47 Per Match)
The Predicted Teams
Southampton
This is the team that beat Arsenal 2-0 in their last fixture. Hard to say whether they will rotate their players or be 'weary' of us and field a full strength team?
23 Forster
17 Alderweireld
06 Fonte
05 Gardos
21 Bertrand
16 Ward-Prowse
12 Wanyama
11 Tadic
10 Mané
08 Davis
19 Pellè
Ipswich Town
Mings in for Parr?
33 Bialkowski
04 Chambers
05 Smith
06 Berra
03 Mings
08 Skuse
11 Anderson
18 Tabb
27 Bishop
10 McGoldrick
09 Murphy
Match Referee - Martin Atkinson
Final Thought - Frosty
Happy New Year everyone, and it certainly will be if we can duplicate the first half of the season …. and what a ride the first half of the season has been!
As much as I am interested to see how we perform against a Premiership side, particularly one as strong as Southampton, I also however perceive this fixture to be a bit of a distraction from our main goal this season.
Mick seems to have been fairly active recently in reducing any un necessary wage costs from the budget, this coupled with an owner who I am sure would be willing to invest additional funds with the prospect of a massive payday if Promotion was achieved could lead to an interesting January transfer window.
Our first team is picking itself at present, and although we have cover in some positions, a few injuries at the wrong time in the wrong position could really set us back, particularly up front. I notice Chris Wood maybe in the frame from some media reports, without bias I have seen Wood quite a few times over his short career, and under the right manager I still firmly believe this lad could go far in the game. In some respects he reminds me a little of Wickham.
Overnight (well for me anyway
) The Saints beat the Arse at home to consolidate their hold on 4th on the Premiership table. I personally think Koeman is a brilliant Manager when one considers how many players left the club during the summer and how many new players were bought into replace and yet the club still hit the new season running. Pretty well throws the old 'gel' theory out the door doesn't it? 
To those of you making the road trip to the South Coast (or in the case of Chefy walking
) safe travels, enjoy the game and at a minimum, try and at least help the boys get a 'replay' at Fortress PR for a return visit.SOUTHAMPTON 1 IPSWICH TOWN 1
Hopefully Southampton don't invest too much money into 'Dating Services' as they appear to be a little short on skill base.
No tickets left for Southampton fans, apart from hospitality.
x
