ThunderPower_14 Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 The big teams come good at this stage of the season. Arsenal are starting to play well and they have a great squad, 3rd for me. Spurs, Liverpool and United who look a bit iffy to fight it out for 4th spot. Southampton are already on 42 points. In previous seasons 70 points is usually what you need for top 4 so Southampton feasibly need just 9 more wins from their last 16 games so more or less 50% ratio for rest of the season dosen't sound that hard. Mind you it shows a) what a good achivement it was and what a total bottle job it was that in 08/09 we had 52 points around this stage although the premier league was a lot stronger back then as indicated by the teams in the champions league. I was having this conversation with some mates the other day. Randy Lerner really came at the wrong time for us. I mean I know he arguably kept us from getting relegated, but he came and invested heavily at a time when the top 4 was an impenetrable fortress that was only broken when Man City got mega-rich. These days it's arguably easier to finish 4th, despite being much more difficult to win a title. If Randy buys Villa a few years earlier, his relative wealth quite possibly means that he has enough time to break down that Sky 4 glass ceiling before Manchester City come and take a massive financial dump on the entire competition. If Randy buys Villa a few years later (assuming we weren't relegated in the mean time), the period where he is keen to invest coincides with Liverpool falling down the table, Ferguson leaving United etc, and maybe, just maybe, we manage to muscle our way in to 4th one year like As it stands, Randy bought the club, spent some money, was made totally financially irrelevant by Man City, and then decided it wasn't worth continuing to invest because making the Champions League was now all too hard. I don't know why I think so hard about this stuff because it just upsets me, but man Villa fans have been dealt an awful hand over the past decade or so in terms of promise vs success. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Rev Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 The big teams come good at this stage of the season. Arsenal are starting to play well and they have a great squad, 3rd for me. Spurs, Liverpool and United who look a bit iffy to fight it out for 4th spot. Southampton are already on 42 points. In previous seasons 70 points is usually what you need for top 4 so Southampton feasibly need just 9 more wins from their last 16 games so more or less 50% ratio for rest of the season dosen't sound that hard. Mind you it shows a) what a good achivement it was and what a total bottle job it was that in 08/09 we had 52 points around this stage although the premier league was a lot stronger back then as indicated by the teams in the champions league. They are already on 42 points but they are only 2 points clear of Manchester United and 3 clear of Arsenal. Spurs are only 5 points back. Southampton are lasting longer in this race than I'd predicted but I still can't see them qualifying for the Champions League. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Yes I agree its the fact they are only 2 and 3 points clear of Man and Arsenal with Spurs and Liverpool not much further behind. These teams are only going to get stronger wheras Southamptons squad has been stretched to the limit and they will tire the second half of the season. He happened to us because of our limited squad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YGabbana Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Keep seeing people say that they dont think southampton will be there after the 'run in'. The 'run in' was Dec/Jan and they have come through it unscathed. I think they will finish in the top4 and i really hope they do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomaszk Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Utd will heartbreakingly catch them with about two weeks of the season left. I would LOVE Man Utd to miss out again with their new hero Van Gaal flopping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 The big teams come good at this stage of the season. Arsenal are starting to play well and they have a great squad, 3rd for me. Spurs, Liverpool and United who look a bit iffy to fight it out for 4th spot. Southampton are already on 42 points. In previous seasons 70 points is usually what you need for top 4 so Southampton feasibly need just 9 more wins from their last 16 games so more or less 50% ratio for rest of the season dosen't sound that hard. Mind you it shows a) what a good achivement it was and what a total bottle job it was that in 08/09 we had 52 points around this stage although the premier league was a lot stronger back then as indicated by the teams in the champions league. They are already on 42 points but they are only 2 points clear of Manchester United and 3 clear of Arsenal. Spurs are only 5 points back. Southampton are lasting longer in this race than I'd predicted but I still can't see them qualifying for the Champions League. Looking at the fixture lists Man. United have quite a tough away run...they still have to go to Liverpool, Chelsea, Everton, West Ham, Swansea. Given they'd had major problems winning away this season that could yet turn out to be their downfall. I thought they'd finish comfortably there a few weeks back but their performances just don't seem that convincing to me. Aside from a deserved win over Chelsea, Spurs have been riding their luck in so many game this season. It will level out and they'll lose/draw matches they need to win in the run in. I don't see them winning another 10 games this season which is what they need minimum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvfcTheObsession Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 When they got off to their flyer, about ten games in my mate said they'd finish top 6, I had a bet they wouldn't. Don't think they'll get Champs league, but I'm likely to lose my bet, need Liverpool and Spurs to save me. Chelsea Man City Man Utd Arsenal Spurs Liverpool Those teams are my only hope, can't see West Ham finishing higher than Southampton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 History tells us they will more than likely fall away at the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 The big teams come good at this stage of the season. Arsenal are starting to play well and they have a great squad, 3rd for me. Spurs, Liverpool and United who look a bit iffy to fight it out for 4th spot. Southampton are already on 42 points. In previous seasons 70 points is usually what you need for top 4 so Southampton feasibly need just 9 more wins from their last 16 games so more or less 50% ratio for rest of the season dosen't sound that hard. Mind you it shows a) what a good achivement it was and what a total bottle job it was that in 08/09 we had 52 points around this stage although the premier league was a lot stronger back then as indicated by the teams in the champions league. They are already on 42 points but they are only 2 points clear of Manchester United and 3 clear of Arsenal. Spurs are only 5 points back. Southampton are lasting longer in this race than I'd predicted but I still can't see them qualifying for the Champions League. Looking at the fixture lists Man. United have quite a tough away run...they still have to go to Liverpool, Chelsea, Everton, West Ham, Swansea. Given they'd had major problems winning away this season that could yet turn out to be their downfall. I thought they'd finish comfortably there a few weeks back but their performances just don't seem that convincing to me. Aside from a deserved win over Chelsea, Spurs have been riding their luck in so many game this season. It will level out and they'll lose/draw matches they need to win in the run in. I don't see them winning another 10 games this season which is what they need minimum. As much as people won't like it Sturridge coming back will massively boost Liverpool's chances of making the top 4. I really think Chelsea, Man City and Arsenal will get the top 3 spots as they have the best squads. The other spot is open to who wants to take it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshVilla Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 As long as if Liverpool don't finish in the top 4 Manure would be a bonus as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villianusa Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Watching a great documentary on Southampton and their rise from administration. They go into some detail about their scouting system and they bring their young players through. I hope Randy got to see it as it was shown out here in the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 I can't help but think the chairman might be being a little over optimistic... Southampton want to be playing in the Champions League within five years, says executive director Les Reed. The Saints sit seventh in the table and have already broken their Premier League record points total despite the exit of ex-boss Mauricio Pochettino and several players last summer. Reed said: "We'd like to think we have the structure to [reach the Champions League] in the next five years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyblade Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 I think it's very doable if they continue in the vein they're in. They were still within a shout until April this season, so why not? As long as Liverpool, United and even Arsenal are as lacklustre as they've been in recent seasons, the door is very much ajar. Not fully open, but who knows. Everton came close last season too? The difference is, Southampton aren't afraid to spend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharkyvilla Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 They did the right thing, didn't blow all the money they got in, just bought good players to improve the team. They must still be sitting on some of that cash, plus the increased TV deal and who knows what next to come in the academy. I suspect they could quite easily expand St Mary's to 40,000. They are in a pretty good position to push on if they invest wisely and have a bit of luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodders0223 Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 No chance. You need a vast sum of money to even break it, unless they are producing £20m-30m players to sell on every couple of years it is a huge task. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted April 29, 2015 VT Supporter Share Posted April 29, 2015 It's hardly the most ludicrous claim in the world is it? If we'd just had the couple of seasons Southampton had, I imagine we'd be furious if our board DIDN'T think we could be in the CHampions League in 5 years. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilS Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 They might sneak in one year if all goes well, and some of the usual suspects have a duff year, but to qualify regularly is going to be very tough for them. We saw it ourselves, if you start to assemble a decent squad and threaten a top 4 spot then the best players get poached and you are back to square one. Replacing the poached players and improving is easier said than done, and just because they managed it this season doesn't mean they will be able to keep doing it. They have done the easiest part of the journey of getting into the top half of the PL, this is where it suddenly becomes a lot tougher to make those final few steps. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isa Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 (edited) Last summer they lost a lot of their best players, reinvested well and ended up with a stronger squad this season. Who's to say they can't do it again? It's a feasible claim although at best they will almost certainly not be able to establish themselves within the top-four just as Spurs failed to do. Especially now in the FFP climate. Edited April 29, 2015 by Isa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa89 Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Without spending around £100m on players and another £100m on wages they won't be able to get Champions League football any time soon. Man utd., Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Spurs will all outspend Southampton this summer IMO. They won't be able to compete with the bigger clubs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Liverpool can outspend who they want but if buy shit then it doesnt matter 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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