When Ronald Koeman bought a villa in Portugal, Louis van Gaal built a bigger and better one 100 yards away. When the younger Dutchman's Southampton side won at Old Trafford last season, the Manchester United manager signed his best player, Morgan Schneiderlin.
Perhaps it is a sign of the competitiveness of Van Gaal, especially if it entails a protege turned enemy. Certainly it is an indication of the issues that Southampton managers face. Koeman has only had 15 months at the helm at St Mary’s. He has still seen seven key players depart to United, Arsenal or Liverpool. He has recouped £130 million (Dh741.5m) and reinvested the majority of it to construct what is almost a new team.
Despite the departures, he took Southampton to greater heights in his debut campaign. Twelve months ago, there were already suggestions that Koeman was the summer’s best buyer. At a similarly early stage, there are not now. Last season’s collection of strangers gelled instantly and beautifully. It was also a rarity. As Southampton are discovering with the latest in their annual intakes of recruits, integrating them can be more of a stop-start process.
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While Koeman took the Europa League seriously, his side nonetheless delivered stale displays as they crashed out to the Danish champions Midtjylland. Southampton had the Premier League's second best defensive record last season but, after conceding five goals in their first two games, Koeman, following a temporary change of system, shored them up. Southampton have recorded clean sheets in their last three league games.
A different defence is taking shape. Last week’s stalemate against West Bromwich Albion was eminently forgettable but notable for the involvement of three newcomers: goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg, borrowed from Fulham to cover for the injured Fraser Forster, right-back Cedric Soares, bought from Sporting Lisbon to replace the sold Nathaniel Clyne, and Virgil van Dyk, the most expensive defender in Southampton’s history.
The £11.5 million Dutchman highlights Saints’ propensity to raid lesser leagues in the search of bargains. Like Victor Wanyama two years ago, he came from Celtic. Last year’s recruitment drive brought fine recruits from the Austrian league, in Sadio Mane, and its Dutch counterpart, in Graziano Pelle and Dusan Tadic.
It is significant that Van Dyk was parachuted into the team for his debut. It is scarcely a vote of confidence in Steven Caulker, Southampton’s first centre-back signing of the summer. That three additions were unused substitutes at The Hawthorns could be an indication of a back-to-basics approach. Certainly some of Southampton’s eight arrivals were filling out a squad for a European campaign that was abruptly curtailed.
Some have to demonstrate they have the quality to make a difference. Juanmi, the lightweight Spain forward, has only been granted nine minutes of Premier League football. His compatriot Oriol Romeu has more experience in the division and began the three previous games but was benched at West Brom in a rethink when a specialist holding midfielder was not required.
The shame for Southampton is that their flagship addition has only been available once. Jordy Clasie has not featured since July. The £8 million Dutchman was promoted to the Feyenoord captaincy at a tender age by Koeman and they were reunited this summer.
He was the designated replacement for Schneiderlin, albeit one who lacks the Frenchman’s physique and power. It may have been a gesture to endear himself at his new club, but Clasie said he would have rejected United to join Southampton. Sunday’s match could have presented a fascinating clash, of both styles and individuals, between the past and present of Koeman’s midfield.
Instead, Schneiderlin has started United’s last two games on the bench while Clasie remains sidelined and Southampton look reliant on comparative old-timers, some veterans of as much as one season at the club, in front of the remodelled defence. The class of 2014 settled superbly and surpassed expectations. The 2015 influx are encountering more mixed fortunes. This may be strange for Southampton, where some players make a minimal impact and others have to be introduced gradually. It is normality for other clubs.
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