If you’re a casual fan of Southampton FC or a new fan looking for a team to support, here are some articles to learn some important aspects about Southampton FC, including information on one of, if not, their best all time player, the focus on academy and some players the club has produced in the past, their “black box” transfer policy as well as their current tactical style.



Some of the articles are a few years old, but generally they still apply to the team today. The philosophy of Southampton FC has been around for a while, and even though the head coach or player personnel changes, the club has been consistent in their vision moving forward.



#1. Matt Le Tissier – ( https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/7028138/matt-le-tissier-southampton-england/ )

Matt Le Tissier is consider a club legend at Southampton FC. He played for Southampton from 1986–2002, appearing in 443 games and scoring 161 goals for the club. His nickname, awarded to him by club fans, is “Le God”.



A creative attacking midfielder with exceptional technical skills, Le Tissier is the second-highest ever scorer for Southampton behind Mick Channon and was voted PFA Young Player of the Year in 1990. He was the first midfielder to score 100 goals in the Premier League. He is notable for his record at scoring penalty kicks – converting from the spot 47 times on 48 attempts – and is considered one of the greatest ever from the 12-yard spot.



As a club legend and recently named club abassador, many people have written articles on Le Tissier, and this is a good article, by Gavin Newsham, that gives a lot of information on the ‘Le God’ and his career, even after retirement. The footballing legend is a well known name and it is surprising he was not capped for England more often.



#2. The Academy Way – ( https://thesefootballtimes.co/2015/04/14/the-southampton-fc-academy-way/ )



Southampton focus on producing players in their academy, and have for some time. It is important for the club to produce their own players as they do not have owners like Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, so they can not rely on buying players. Instead, they produce young players who either grow into the first team, or are sold to sustain the club financially.



Here is an article by Andrew Flint, explaining more in-depth about the ‘Southampton Way’ and the importance of the academy at the club.



#3. Southampton FC Academy top 10 products – ( http://outsideoftheboot.com/2015/11/04/the-academy-series-10-best-southampton-products-bale-walcott-and-shearer-feature/ )



With the club focusing on producing academy products for the first team or for sale to continue improving and operating the club, in recent times, have produced some great players, and a lot of notable names, with most moving to top sides in Europe.



This article by Ross Bramble features the top ten players produced by the Southampton Academy in the past. It shows the quality of players that Southampton is always aiming to produce and exhibits why there is generally hype built around any youth prospects who stand out at the club in current times.



#4. Upcoming Youth Prospects ( https://lastwordonfootball.com/2018/08/27/southampton-fc-youth-watch-for-future/ )



After viewing the top 10 players produced by the academy in the past, here is a list of exciting prospects currently in the Southampton academy pipeline. Some names being players who are currently breaking into the first team, and some are not ready yet but are still causing a rumble in the youth and reserve leagues.



Yann Valery is one who current manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has taken a liking to, so keep an eye out for him in the future. This article by Robert Molnar highlights a lot of the other players and who to watch out for in the future.

#5. Black Box – ( https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/37954971 )



Besides focusing on producing players from the academy, Southampton took pride in their player recruitment when they had to dip into the transfer market. They have a famous recruiting tool called ‘The Black Box’ and it apparently had in-depth analysis and extensive player reports that would help the club find ‘perfect’ replacements whenever another player was sold, so the club would not miss a beat or have to change tactics to fit different style-of-play players.



This article by Simon Stone highlights more in depth about the Black Box and how it was used at the club, even when recruiting managers.



#6. Black box p2 failure times – ( https://www.tifofootball.com/features/black-box-to-black-hole-the-southampton-way-is-now-defined-by-wastage/ )



The famous “Black Box” seems to have fallen off in recent times, compared to the past. Before, players would be sold and replacements would be found easily and it would be clear that the choice was correct when signing the replacement. More recently, the Black Box has been failing to replace players properly, or the Black Box has not been used. During the constant downward spiral after peaking in the Premier League, the club has lost some big name players for record transfer fees, their replacements have been sub-par. Constant manager turnover may also be a cause in the poor transfer choices.



Highlighting more recent times of the Black Box is the article here written by Richard Jolly:



#7. Tactical Style – ( https://totalfootballanalysis.com/head-coach-analysis/tactical-analysis-of-southampton-under-hasenhuttl )



Southampton have recently been having some success in the league after a horrible start to the season and a very shaky , relegation threatened, past few seasons. New manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has taken over in December 2018 and has instantly made an impact on the team.



Players look more enthusiastic and excited to play, and are finally turning their home field into a forretress again. Competing with Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham have been highlights of his takeover so far, and giving good games to Liverpool and Manchester United show good signs for the future of the club on the new boss.



Lee Scott put an article out soon after Hasenhuttl’s takeover, but not much has changed in style or personnel since the article was written, but be sure to check out current results and starting lineups to see what has been implemented as of late.



Other Importance:



Hasenhuttl’s outlook on the future of the club and club’s philosophy:

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11700/11697020/ralph-hasenhuttl-admits-southampton-remain-willing-to-sell-best-players

Players who made the 2019 Champion’s League Semi-Finals that were once Southampton FC Players (not including Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain or manager Mauricio Pochettino):

Hasenhuttl claims he has a key say in just about everything that happens to the club.

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/17710942.southampton-boss-ralph-hasenhuttl-makes-important-claim/

Southampton sign Djenepo, a highly rated winger who is a Mali international team member.

https://southamptonfc.com/news/2019-06-13/announcement-southampton-football-club-sign-moussa-djenepo-standard-liege

Southampton sign Che Adams, a previously missed target and much needed striker reinforcement. He has already made an impact, scoring a few minutes into his debut in Southampton’s first preseason friendly.

https://www.southamptonfc.com/news/2019-07-01/che-adams-birmingham-to-southampton-announcement-1-july-2019

There are a ton more of articles that include tactical breakdowns, transfer rumors, and behind the scenes of the running of the club. Southampton has a tight-knit fanbase, that generally is supportive of the manager and team and trust in the front office to run the team properly, with few blips in recent times. Hopefully the club is back on track and ready for repeated success in the future.

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