Southampton top four finish?????

DavidinSouthampton · Jun 3, 2013

In the Southampton Evening echo this evening there is the launch of a fantasy transfer dealings competition, which is basically which five players would you choose for saints of money was no object.

But what really struck me about the introduction was that it said that Mr Pocchetino is EXPECTING a top four finish.

I could accept aiming for, or hoping for, or targeting even.... but expecting?

So my surmisings are:

Do delusions of grandeur pervade the whole club
Has he been mistranslated somewhere along the line.
Is he the new "Special One".

Not Andy Naylor · Jun 3, 2013

1. Yes
2. Possibly
3. No

If Nicola Cortese is talking top four, the manager would be well-advised not to contradict him.

SeagullSongs · Jun 3, 2013

I can see Swansea pushing the top 6 this season depending on how their summer goes, but I think Southampton aren't really going to get above mid-table any time soon.

Geriatric Seagull · Jun 3, 2013

Top four? Didn't realise they'd been relegated!

The Modfather · Jun 3, 2013

Dream on dreamer

Weststander · Jun 3, 2013

Come May 2014, Ston will be no where near the top 4, despite the arrogance of Pocchetino and Cortese on more than one occasion.

The days of the likes of Ipswich, QPR and West Ham running the champs close, are long gone.

Money talks in modern football in a massive way, and the income and therefore squads assembled of the top half dozen clubs dwarf that of Ston whether they like it not.

DavidinSouthampton · Jun 3, 2013

Weststander said:
Come May 2014, Ston will be no where near the top 4, despite the arrogance of Pocchetino and Cortese on more than one occasion.

The days of the likes of Ipswich, QPR and West Ham running the champs close, are long gone.

Money talks in modern football in a massive way, and the income and therefore squads assembled of the top half dozen clubs dwarf that of Ston whether they like it not.

The article did talk about a transfer market fighting fund of £100,000,000, but even so...........

Seagull over Canaryland · Jun 3, 2013

First reaction is that Pocchetino is barking mad but on reflection maybe it isn't surprising.

Saints did really well to survive last season in the Prem after a very dodgy start. But having got to the Prem surely most owners and Club chairmen would love to see their Club finish in the top four and then get Champs Lge footie. Why shouldn't they dream, especially with that new Sky TV money sloshing around for transfer budgets. Cortese seems to set ruthlessly ambitious targets and wouldn't surprise me if he is serious, so Pocchetino has to say the right things. The pressures on managers to succeed is already silly and probably not going to get any easier anytime soon.

I wouldn't mind seeing an outsider team make it into the top 4 of the Prem, just to upset things but don't think it will be Saints or Swansea. Would certainly shake things up if it happened.

Stat Brother · Jun 3, 2013

No team is going to break the top 4 cartel.

There's no reason why any team can't be consistent enough against the dross, to be top ten.
That top ten can comfortably be 6 to 9 just by finishing strong.

But that's where the dream ends, because Southampton et al are about £500,000,000 of backing/debt short.

Napper · Jun 3, 2013

Stat Brother said:
No team is going to break the top 4 cartel.

There's no reason why any team can't be consistent enough against the dross, to be top ten.
That top ten can comfortably be 6 to 9 just by finishing strong.

But that's where the dream ends, because Southampton et al are about £500,000,000 of backing/debt short.

I reckon Liverpool will make the top 4 next season. Perhaps Arsenal missing out.

Just a hunch as rate Rodgers and what he is doing there

Stat Brother · Jun 3, 2013

Napper said:
I reckon Liverpool will make the top 4 next season. Perhaps Arsenal missing out.

Just a hunch as rate Rodgers and what he is doing there

I wonder how many times that's been said over the last 15 years.
It's only happened once in the last 5 years, I see no reason why the forthcoming season should be any different.

ferring seagull · Jun 3, 2013

Whatever way one looks at it there are four, perhaps five or even 'seven' PL clubs at the top end and it is probably not going to change imminently but who knows ?

portlock seagull · Jun 3, 2013

If it ever looked like happening, FIFA would intervene and put a stop to it. Imagine the status quo of Premiership and Champs League being upset?! The upstarts. No chance. You'll be advocating competition next!

Seagull over Canaryland · Jun 3, 2013

At least with the recent managerial changes at United, Chelsea and City there will be a small chance of an upset.

I think the first two will be ok but maybe no guarantees that Man City will click under Pellegrini? You would assume he will get a huge transfer budget but then they have spent large in the past and the team hasn't performed.

theonesmith · Jun 3, 2013

The Complete Badger said:
If you consider Spurs the benchmark for being the number one threat to the existing top four, then it's not impossible to think a club like Southampton backed with a huge amount of money could get to that level. Spurs obviously have one absolutely outstanding player, but beyond that they're not exactly world beaters. Sure, they're a good team and a lot better than Southampton, but if Cortese opens the chequebook I don't see why they shouldn't be signing players of the calibre of Defoe, Lennon, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto, Lloris, Holtby etc on a regular basis. The tough bit is probably adding those two or three stand-out players that will turn a 5th-7th place team into top four material, but I don't think it's as far fetched as some people are suggesting.

Agreed. One would imagine their academy (where Bale originated) would be key to providing those standout players...

Weststander · Jun 3, 2013

DavidinSouthampton said:
The article did talk about a transfer market fighting fund of £100,000,000, but even so...........

But where does £100m fit in with UEFA and PL financial fair play rules? With Stons relatively tiny s/t, corporate, and merchandising income .... a large subsidy from the Liebherr Estate, would be deemed against the mandatory rules.

Not his aim, but by default, Platini has inadvertedly strengthened the cartel of those clubs of an elite size.
In future, it will be almost impossible for middling size clubs like Malaga, PSG, ManC and Chelsea (each, as they were before sugar daddies arrived), to get to the upper echelons by funding players with mega subsidised losses.

rjbseagull · Jun 3, 2013

Without having read the article, could it be possible that it was part of the game and therefore a joke? I mean you would expect a team with unlimited transfer funds to finish in the top four, so perhaps it was just part of it.

DavidinSouthampton · Jun 3, 2013

rjbseagull said:
Without having read the article, could it be possible that it was part of the game and therefore a joke? I mean you would expect a team with unlimited transfer funds to finish in the top four, so perhaps it was just part of it.

Having just re-read the article, I don't think it is joking. It quotes "expects a top-four finish and that means buying big with in the transfer window with a probable war chest of £100,000,000"

it later adds "With saints pushing for a Champions League place next season, many experts have suggested a summer transfer budget of £100m would be appropriate to add the kind of quality required for such a campaign" Then. "That Nicola Cortese has stayed with the club after getting the Liebherrs to agree his future plans suggests there will be considerable spending power this summer."

As somebody else says above, where does that leave them with FFP et al.

beorhthelm · Jun 3, 2013

The Complete Badger said:
... if Cortese opens the chequebook I don't see why they shouldn't be signing players of the calibre of Defoe, Lennon, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto, Lloris, Holtby etc on a regular basis. The tough bit is probably adding those two or three stand-out players that will turn a 5th-7th place team into top four material, but I don't think it's as far fetched as some people are suggesting.

not impossible but you've illustrated why its improbable and far fetched for this season. they need half a dozen players to get halfway there and another few top class players to make the extra step up. 9 players? in one summer? even with an open check book (ignoring FFP), its not likely a manager is going to pick the right 9 players to achive this first time, is it?

if this is the expectation in Southampton, i rather fancy Pocchetino for the sack race.

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