It has been a season of inconsistency for Southampton so far, with the Saints fans experiencing both highs and lows under Ronald Koeman in 2015-16.
The south coast club find themselves in 12th place at the halfway stage, but just which direction the team’s fortunes will follow remains to be seen.
Southampton are just six points from sixth spot, but by the same measure they are only seven points above the relegation zone.
Although there are few suggestions that the St Mary’s Stadium outfit will be dragged into a scrap at the bottom of the table, it is clear to see that they are not consistently as dangerous going forward as they have been in recent campaigns.
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The sale of some of the club’s best players has stunted the team’s growth, but Koeman still has plenty of impressive stars at his disposal.
The Boxing Day win over Arsenal, where the visitors were blown away in a 4-0 rout at St Mary’s, shows just how able Southampton are to take it to the best in the division on their day.
By the same degree, a 2-1 defeat against West Ham in the next fixture shows that the south coast club have work to do to achieve their lofty ambitions in the long run. One of the main areas of contention for the Saints is at centre forward, where there is a growing case to suggest that a new option is needed this summer.
Italian powerhouse Graziano Pelle has largely commandeered the role as the furthest man forward for the club over the last 18 months, but he has gone through something of a slump in recent times.
Despite an explosive first season in English football, the 30-year-old has enduring long periods without scoring in a Southampton shirt.
The current drought goes back to his strike against Bournemouth at the start of November and a total of six goals to date this term is not adequate for Koeman’s men to progress to the next level.
With Pelle currently on the sidelines due to a knee injury, Shane Long has been afforded the opportunity to play as a centre forward and looks to offer the Saints a different and more menacing threat in the final third.
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Although the Italian’s hold-up play and ability to link in with onrushing midfielders has been an element of Southampton’s play over the last year, the Irishman’s pace and penetration seem a better fit for Koeman’s side.
With the likes of Dusan Tadic and Sadio Mane bursting forward at pace, Long’s presence adds another mobile and direct option that turns Southampton into a devastating counter-attacking unit.
This was more than evident against Arsenal, where Long’s threat in behind the Gunners defence was too much for Laurent Koscielny and in particular Per Mertesacker to handle.
Although the Republic of Ireland international does not possess the same aerial threat or have as imposing a stature as Pelle, he also proved against Arsenal that he can be a real handful for opposition centre-halves and is not afraid to offer a physical presence for his side.
When Pelle does return to availability it will offer Koeman options, but the Dutchman would be best to continue with the more-rounded Long in attack if Southampton are to have a chance of finishing in the top six this term.
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