What makes an effective team?

Following on from Rickie Lambert's announcement regarding his retirement, I have viewed a lot of nostalgic videos from our halcyon seasons as we swashbuckled out way up the leagues. I have long had the belief that we played our best football in the season 13/14 where our holy trinity of Lallana, Lambert and Rodriguez made our intricate and scintillating forward play a joy to watch. Yet over the next two years, despite many key players leaving we continued to climb up the league under Ronald Koeman.

Sometimes the goals flowed but often Southampton relied on the genius and pace of Mane or a single headed goal from Pelle while a solid defence and double pivot screen helped keep many clean sheets. Therefore was this side better, probably not, but was it more effective, probably. Now, arguments could be made that the league was weaker this season because of the number of teams in transition, however

After watching England's uninspiring efforts on Thursday night I was also drawn to the same conclusion. Love England or hate them, it seems that the players are always branded rubbish or future stars, never somewhere in between yet England's players are generally of a good level yet their team performances are nothing compared to Northern Ireland and Scotland where player for player the quality is lower yet the teams are far more effective. Similarly, South American football has shown that an effective Peru can challenge teams containing containing world stars like Messi, while Portugal's Ronaldo is also not yet guaranteed a World Cup berth.

Koeman seemed to stumble across the right formation in his last season at the club when we were looking like we were going to be in for a long and hard season, however the effectiveness of the 3-4-2-1 cannot be underestimated and last season despite Puel's fault we did have some patches (like the run up to the EFL final) where we looked a promising and effective side.

So what makes a team effective? Surely it cannot be solely down to formation, do the players need to understand their roles perfectly or is it down to balance within a first X!? Surely Pellegrino must be a manager who is good at getting the best out of what he has, case example being his last role at Alves. what can be do to make Southampton more effective, or is just a matter of time?

 

11 players on the field that want to win is a good start.............

 

Just reduced yours slightly Beddy. That'll do for me

 

Or 11 players on the field who want to play for each other.

If those 11 players also understand what the coach wants of them individually and collectively, even better.

 

Effective teams have effective players who score goals, or assist in scoring goals, whether they are play well or not. They also stop goals going in at the other end on a fairly reliable basis. I thought we'd cracked the latter scenario, but it seems we haven't quite. The former one is definitely not sorted yet. And I doubt it will be for a fair while.

 

I've found a useful video:

 

Do you really think any team doesn't want to win. I imagine that players can lose confidence or become jaded but I cannot believe that Southampton players don't want to win.

 

I dont think they lack the desire to win but what they do lack is motivation. They'd all like to win but the difference between this group and the 13/14 group is how much they want it and why. Playing for each other and playing for the badge is the number one thing that will get wins IMO. These guys don't know each other/want to play for Liverpool/City/have come for a pay increase/think they're better individually than they are/dont know where to turn for leadership/are in a massive slump.

 

I get the impression from some of the players on occasions that they are just doing their particular job........a goal goes against and it is a shrug of the shoulders kind of thing....here we go again kind of attitude. With some there does not seem to be the passion...of old. Not all it is true but something is badly missing at the mo IMO. I wish to goodness I am wrong and who knows maybe I am...........however I am dreadfully disappointed. Too many changes of manager perhaps.....anyone else got any ideas?

 

Mentality plays such a big part imo. United side of the 90s were a great example, obviously a load of talent but had that real winning mentality with players such as Keane, Cantona etc. that is priceless.

 

Mentality - that is it.

Look at the game against Man U. We didn’t win, but boy did we try. Our mentality was spot on. We believed and had desire.

Could also though be putting themselves in the shop window if they play well against Man U....

 

I agree that the continued changing of manager has not helped and completely understand why peoples enjoyment and enthusiasm have waned, especially when your side is not even scoring goals. However, teams based solely on players who seem to give 100 % probably wont help as we need that creative spark. Le Tissier, it could be argued, looked quite languid a lot of the time and did not do his defensive duties yet his flair was extremely influential. Otherwise we get a team of Carlton Palmers like below (excuse the source):

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ton-Palmer-deserved-caps-Matt-Le-Tissier.html

Yes, players like Tadic are frustrating, however they have the ability to unlock defences and until last season he was the second highest assist provider after Ozil. I think that it is very difficult to be a consistent creative player.

 

What was that about hard work beating talent, if talent doesn't work hard?

The right mentality is worth at least a 25% edge in sport.

 

And pressure makes diamonds.

 

Too many changes, not enough of them have worked. Also a loss of identity and direction. I don't really recognise the team or the club from just 3-4 years ago. I really liked the recent character of the club, the club that gave young english talent an opportunity, that brought talented youngsters through that were part of the club, that played exciting football. None of that seems to be happening at the moment.

 

Oh dear. Are you saying you don't care for the post-Cortese Southampton FC.?
I think the team has lost a little pizz-zazz in the last season or so. I wonder if it correlates with a paucity of goals [pauses to do research]. Why yes it does.!
On a slightly more serious note. While SFC continue to tell us how ambitious the club is, it becomes increasingly difficult to have faith when one can detect the momentum draining out of the successful rate of previous years. But I'm prepared to believe that it is a hiccough [or hiccup] and that we'll get back on the winning road. All we need is to score goals. Hmm, sounds simple doesn't it. How did we end up with strikers who can't score, after a bumper few seasons when it wasn't about if, but more about how many.?
If all else fails, we can always re-employ Nicola, although they say one should never go back. I bet he'd love a chance to finish that SFC dream off though. If you remember, he said something about how to win the PL title. I like that dream.

 

One and one quarter of a season of indifference since 2009 (even the one season threw in our only major cup final for 38 years) and some don't care as much. I can never understand that. In the past I have been accused of being too mean to some, but sometimes I do think....

Old Trafford is thataway >>>>>>

 

14 years but otherwise agree completely.

Me and you predicted years ago that half of the fanbase would panic at the first sign of a 'wobble' - for want of a better word - too.

I love how a few good years suddenly means we have a divine right to be challenging for Europe... sorry doesn't work like that

 

Oh bollocks.... I always forget that one, even though I was there

I try to forget it so I can erase the cost of my ticket.

 

I could have had a ticket but my Mum wouldn't let me sit somewhere in the stadium on my own as I was only 12

Thought I'd never forgive her for that and actually didn't until last October when she wired me £550 when I was stranded in Munich to get to Milan... All forgiven now Mum