Twelve Gameweeks into the season and it’s something of an understatement to suggest Southampton have been far from impressive since their top-flight return. Nigel Adkins’ side have leaked goals in alarming numbers and sit second bottom of the table, with just nine points to their name thus far, but the past couple of matches have suggested they are finally starting to gel as a side:
Prior to last week’s home clash with Swansea, the Saints had conceded less than two goals on one occasion this term but have now managed that feat in back-to-back Gameweeks. Granted, a draw and a win in their last two is a little early for optimism but it is, nevertheless, the longest they have gone unbeaten in the league so far.
Cork v Davis
The upturn in performance has coincided with the return from injury of Jack Cork alongside Morgan Schneiderlin in the centre of midfield earlier this month. Sidelined with knee and ankle problems, the former Chelsea man had previously failed to feature in the top-flight this term, with his absence affording Steven Davis the chance to stake a claim as a regular.
After Saturday’s win at QPR, Adkins was unsparing in his praise of the midfielder’s performance as he watched his side battle their way to victory in the crucial bottom-of-the-table encounter with QPR:
“He (Cork) was yet again outstanding – him and Morgan Schneiderlin together. I played Jack Cork in every game after I signed him last season. He was called up for the Great Britain team for the Olympics which is a great honour obviously but we didn’t have him for pre-season. He came back and in his first game he got injured, he came back after that and got injured straightaway in his comeback game. We’ve not had an opportunity to have Jack Cork and Morgan Schneiderlin together until now. They are two young 23-year-olds who I believe have got so much potential and we can get a good partnership going with them.”
Comparing the vital statistics of Cork and Davis in the centre of midfield, the former’s influence in front of the back-four is already obvious. In terms of involvement and distribution, he has averaged almost 20 touches per game more than Davis (80 to 60.6) and while the pair are virtually identical for passes received, Cork has been far more efficient in quickly moving the ball on, making 57 passes to Davis’ 46.3, with 48 to 39.8 successful passes per game.
| Tchs | Passes Rcvd | Passes | Succ Passes | Aerial Duels | Tackles | Int | Recover | Clear | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Cork | 80 | 39.5 | 57 | 48 | 71.4% | 75% | 2 | 9 | 1.5 |
| Steven Davis | 60.6 | 39.2 | 46.3 | 39.8 | 44.4% | 63.6% | 1.5 | 5.7 | 1.0 |
When it comes to defensive work, Cork has won 71.4% of aerial duels, far superior to Davis’ 44.4%, and has also bettered his successful tackle ratio, by 75% to 63.6%. He has made more interceptions (2 to 1.5), recoveries (9 to 5.7) and clearances (1.5 to 1.0) per game, highlighting his worth to the side. Clearly, Cork’s deep-lying role is not going to bring home the Fantasy points but it’s the extra combative edge he gives the midfield over Davis, in addition to his understanding with Schneiderlin, that has resultantly boosted the potential of the Saints’ attacking assets.
With the pair sitting in front of the back-four, Southampton’s 4-2-3-1 shape is clear in Saturday’s match (left). Cork (18) and Schneiderlin (4) are content to stay deep, with Jason Puncheon (42) and Adam Lallana (20) pushing high up on the right and left respectively in support of Rickie Lambert (7).
Their previous away game (right) at West Brom looks far less defined. Adkins rolled out a 4-4-2, with Davis (8) more advanced than Schneiderlin (4) in the middle and while Jay Rodriguez (9) was fielded on the right wing, his tendency to drop deep and into central areas offsets the side’s balance.
Puncheon Comparison
The winger’s goal and assist at QPR, supplemented by a couple of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) bonus points, has already seen his priced rise from 4.4 to 4.5 this week, with plenty prepared to jump aboard the cut-price bandwagon. Granted, Mark Hughes’ side are bottom of the table for a reason and while we’re reining in our expectations, the average position maps over the last two games, compared to his previous appearances, shows just how far forward Jason Puncheon has been in possession.
The statistics more than back up his displays over the last two. Although Puncheon’s average game time between Gameweeks 1-10 and 11-12 was lower (73.1 minutes per appearances to 95), the figures take a significant jump. Over his last two matches, Puncheon has averaged 40.5 touches in the final third, virtually double his previous 20.7. For Passes received in this crucial area, he is again just shy of registering twice the tally (23.5 to 12), while the same applies to successful passes made in the final third, with 18 to 9.7 highlighting his upturn in distribution closer to goal.
| Mins | Tchs Final 3rd | Pass Rcvd Final 3rd | Succ Pass Final 3rd | Tch Box | Shots | Shots Box | Mins Attmpt | Chance Crtd | Dribb | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puncheon GW 11-12 | 95 | 40.5 | 23.5 | 18 | 5 | 5.5 | 2.5 | 17.3 | 0.5 | 4 |
| Puncheon GW 1-10 | 73.1 | 20.7 | 12 | 9.7 | 3 | 1.9 | 1 | 39.4 | 0.9 | 2.6 |
His more advanced position has helped him to five touches in the box per game – he had previously averaged three, while his attempts on goal have almost trebled, up from 1.9 to 5.5. Crucially, it’s not all speculative long-range efforts, either; 2.5 attempts have been in the box, up from a previous season average of one. This equates to 17.3 minutes per shot, superior to the Gameweek 1-10 figure of 39.4. Intriguingly, the number of chances created has almost halved, down from 0.9 to 0.5 –now that he is seeing more of the ball closer to goal, Puncheon is looking to find the net rather than tee up a team mate. An upturn in attempted dribbles, from 2.6 to four, highlights a player with flourishing self-belief right now.
Again, it’s no surprise to see the winger’s display was talked up by his manager post-match:
“He’s been working hard. He’s had a good pre-season and again it’s about that consistency…he’s scored a great goal and could have scored three or four more. He worked hard for the team as did everybody – it was a real good all round performance, but there’ll talk about Puncheon and maybe one or two others.”
A Look at Lallana
Finally, we take a glance at the displays of Adam Lallana over the past couple of games and compare them to a select batch of premium Fantasy midfielders. While Puncheon’s weekend returns have picked up plenty new investors, Lallana has failed to produce a goal or assist in his last four but his statistics have been superb – although they haven’t been translated to Fantasy points, his owners will be more than happy to hold.
| GW11-12 | Tchs Final 3rd | Pass Rcvd Final 3rd | Succ Pass Final 3rd | Chance Crtd | Tch Box | Shots Box |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lallana | 95 | 58 | 48 | 5 | 18 | 3 |
| Hazard | 104 | 53 | 52 | 7 | 11 | 3 |
| Silva | 95 | 71 | 53 | 7 | 9 | 3 |
| Cazorla | 73 | 50 | 45 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
| Valencia | 93 | 63 | 53 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
Between Gameweeks 11-12, only one midfielder, Eden Hazard, had more touches (104) in the final third than the Saints man, who managed to equal David Silva’s 95. While the City playmaker leads the way for passes received in the final third, with 71, Lallana’s total of 58 is bettered only by one other midfielder, United’s Antonio Valencia, with 63. For successful passes made in the final third, once again Lallana features in the top five; only the aforementioned trio of Valencia (53), Silva (53) and Hazard (52) have marginally made more.
In terms of chances created, Silva and Hazard, with seven apiece, have bettered Lallana’s five, though this is still superior to Santi Cazorla and Valencia, who both managed to provide three goalscoring opportunities for team mates. When it comes to touches in the box, though, Lallana excels – his total of 18 over the last two Gameweeks is joint-top with Hatem Ben Arfa and leaves the likes of Hazard (11) and Silva (nine) trailing in his wake. Interestingly, Gaston Ramirez also impresses here – his 13 is bettered only by Lallana and Ben Arfa.
For total shots over the last couple, Puncheon’s 11 tops the charts, though Lallana and Ramirez sit joint fifth, with five apiece; further illustration of the plentiful potential from Adkins’ attacking midfield trio. Lallana’s tally of three efforts from inside the box again fare well when compared to our other featured players, equalling both Hazard and Silva.
With three home matches in the next four Gameweeks (NEW, NOR, liv, REA) Adkins’ side could well be starting to find their stride at just the right time in their attempt to climb out the drop zone. As the stats suggest, there is plenty attacking potential on offer right now as Fantasy managers look to freshen up their five-man midfields and if Southampton continue along the same vein, there may be plenty reason for St Mary’s optimism just on the horizon.
*The Technical Area is put together using the statistics and maps available in our members area. For access to such data and tools on every player, team and match of the 2012/13 season, and for exclusive members articles like this, click here for details.
