Article: Traditionally slow starters. | Football Southampton

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chinasaint

chinasaint

Well-Known Member
Aug 8, 2011
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Originally Eastleigh, now China
I have just found this info on the echo site and felt it was important to remind some of those newer fans or others that may have forgotten how Saints are traditionally slow at coming out of their blocks at the start of the season in the Premier league.

The club are no strangers to bad starts, though, and if anything have become specialists at overcoming them.

Four times since 1920 they have begun campaigns with four straight defeats, and they have never once been relegated in those seasons.

As well as the 1998/99 Premier League campaign, they also started with four losses in 1925/26, 1927/28 and 1938/39 – all in the old division two.

And those aren't the only nightmare openings.

In 1993/94, Saints lost eight of their first nine matches, but recovered to finish 18th in the 22-team Premier League.

Even more amazingly, they stayed up in 1969/70 despite winning just two of their opening 25 top-flight matches.


92/93
The opening nine matches brought in just 7 points out of a possible 27. One win and four draws before going on to finish 18th in what was then a 22 team top flight.

93/94
The start of that campaign saw one win and 2 draws in the opening 11 matches, bringing in just 5 points from 33. Again they finished 18th out of 22.

95/96
One win and three draws in the opening ten games, finished 17th out of 20.

96/97
Just two draws and no wins from the opening seven games as they turned things around to eventually finish 16th.

97/98
One win and a draw from the first 9 matches, conceding 27 goals in those games for just 4 scored. Finishing in 12th spot.

98/99
One win and four draws from the first 13 matches, they went on to achieve 17th.

2002/03
One win and four draws from the first eight games, finishing a creditable 8th.
 
The huge difference in this is we had a premiership team with premiership players albeit with questionable qualities , you need experience for the first year .
 
ChrisMarsdenFootballGenius said:
I had hoped someone would post this - it's well worth remembering. Was it 96/97 where we didn't register a win until November?
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All I can find at the moment for the 96/97 season was the first seven games brought in just the two draws so I would imagine Saints then went on a run to bring in a few more points so maybe that was the first win in game eight. If I can find any more info on that I will post it later.
 
Obviously I was wrong about that... but in 98/99 our first win was 24th October, and we lost the first five games. So it's not true that no team has lost the first four games and stayed up (did I see that in another thread?)...

24/10/1998 Southampton 2 - 1 Coventry City
17/10/1998 Arsenal 1 - 1 Southampton
03/10/1998 Southampton 0 - 3 Manchester United
28/09/1998 West Ham United 1 - 0 Southampton
19/09/1998 Southampton 1 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur
12/09/1998 Newcastle United 4 - 0 Southampton
08/09/1998 Leeds United 3 - 0 Southampton
29/08/1998 Southampton 1 - 2 Nottingham Forest
22/08/1998 Charlton Athletic 5 - 0 Southampton
16/08/1998 Southampton 1 - 2 Liverpool
 
ChrisMarsdenFootballGenius said:
I had hoped someone would post this - it's well worth remembering. Was it 96/97 where we didn't register a win until November?
Click to expand...

CMFG- just found the stats for 96/97 season. The first win was on the 28th of September at home to Middlesboro, a little 4-0 win. This was followed by a draw at Coventry and back to back wins against Sunderland and Manu (the 6-3). Only one more win until the end of the year left Saints on played 21, won four, drew four and lost thirteen.
 
gomarchingin said:
The huge difference in this is we had a premiership team with premiership players albeit with questionable qualities , you need experience for the first year .
Click to expand...

I suppose it begs the question, whether your preference is:
a) a less able team (if that's the definition of "questionable qualities" (unless you're referring to Terry Hurlock!! <laugh>))with premier league experience
or
b) a talented team who are novices in the league?

Looking at last year 's new-boys surviving, I'd probably lean towards b)

Cheers

LSN
 
Last years Swansea's team had I think 4 players AT THE START nevermind later with premiership experience , also Vorm had played in the top flight with Utrecht .
 
There is one significant difference to saints of that era and saints of today anyone hazard a guess what it is
 
Apart from our best season in living memory all of those games were at the dell, the dell gave us a definate advantge to recover from a bad start, we did it every season we were always known for the great escape, Playing the kind of football we play in the premier league at st marys means we have to play well to win, we will never battle to a result, we will never win cause the pitch or the stadium is a leveller, we have to play well and hope for a bit of luck.
 
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