Southampton: season in words
Despite securing a top 10 finish and reaching the final of the EFL Cup, Southampton’s 2016-17 campaign under former manager Claude Puel was characterised by inconsistency, dotted with fantastic yet agonizingly frustrating displays.
Virgil Van Dijk, Ryan Bertrand and Nathan Redmond, among others stabilised the Southampton ship at times through a season overshadowed by a heart-wrenching EFL cup final loss and premature Europa League exit.
Finding their feet – and their form
Following a sluggish start to the season, the Saints finally found some much-needed momentum when November arrived. Following wins over Swansea, West Ham and Burnley, they had peaked just in time to host Italian giants Inter Milan at St Mary’s, knowing that a win would put them in the driving seat to qualify for knockout stages of the Europa League.
After a harsh 1-0 defeat in the San Siro two weeks earlier, a determined Southampton side got their revenge, as an emphatic Van Dijk finish and a Yuri Nagatomo own goal handed them a momentous victory.
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“I am happy for all the fans and players. They saw a very good game with a good result. It is a fantastic scenario,” Puel said after the game.
“It was difficult at the beginning. We dominated all the game but we lost a goal and missed a penalty. But we did very good work
“We knew how important it was to win tonight. It is a good result but we are not finished yet. We want to qualify. The work is not finished.”
Europa League exit
However a 1-1 draw with Israeli minnows Hapoel Be’er Sheva wasn’t enough for qualification. A lacklustre Saints outfit could only respond to Maor Buzaglo’s 78th-minute strike with a late equaliser again from talisman van Dijk.
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“Tonight, all the words are difficult, but this is football. It’s a big disappointment, because we gave it our all. It’s very hard to be eliminated, but now it’s important to have a good reaction from all the team,” Puel said.
Farewell to captain Fonte
The New Year saw a new start for the south coast club, as the Saints bid farewell to skipper Jose Fonte, who left for West Ham after seven years of service to the coastal club in a deal worth £8 million.
“I always gave my best for this club. I always gave my sweat, blood and tears so my conscience is very clear,” Fonte said upon leaving.
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The Portugal international made a return to St Mary’s barely a month later as the Saints were comprehensively beaten by West Ham, who won 3-1.
“It was a strange experience coming back to Southampton today,” he said. “It was emotional, difficult, but in the end I can say a big thank you to everyone – to the West Ham supporters and my teammates for helping me get through this.”
Cup final heartache
Italian striker Manolo Gabbiadini, bought in from Napoli on deadline day to boost the Saints in attack, had scored three times in his first two appearances in the red and white stripes and led an optimistic charge up front as Southampton bid for their first piece of silverware since winning the FA Cup in 1976.
But it was United’s day this time round. The in-form Gabbiadini netted a brace as Southampton fought from two goals down, before Zlatan Ibrahimovic had the final word with an 87th minute strike, breaking Saints’ hearts and denying them a first league cup.
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Southampton manager Claude Puel said: “We came back with quality. Perhaps we deserve better. It’s football and congratulations to Manchester United and their players.
“Manolo Gabbiadini scored three good goals [including the disallowed goal]. There’s a lot of disappointment of course. We had a fantastic game without the reward. I hope we can continue on this level.”
Puel wanted his players to respond and they bounced back with a hard-fought 4-3 win away at Watford.
“We knew it was important to give a good answer, and the performance was good after three or four difficult days for us,” the then manager said.
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Conclusion: what next?
The Saints will look to target more consistency under the watchful eye of the manager Mauricio Pellegrino next season.
“I think my philosophy and the culture of the club will work well together. I am excited and passionate about what the future holds for us,” the Argentinian said after being appointed.
