Team Focus: Southampton Benefitting From Pochettino's High Pressing Game

On the 18th of January 2013, in a blizzard hit Britain, the nation came to a standstill as a vast majority of the workforce in England enjoyed an enforced leave of absence, or as some would call it; a “Snow Day”.

However, there was one man who saw his spell away from his job extended by that much more than the ‘Average Joe’ as Southampton, at the time, bizarrely relieved Nigel Adkins from his duties having overseen a spell of just two defeats in 12 Premier League games.

In his place came Mauricio Pochettino - the former defender famous for fouling Michael Owen in England’s 1-0 win over Argentina at the 2002 World Cup - and with it, a raft of questions were fired in the direction of executive chairman Nicola Cortese, who had seen his four year plan of seeing the Saints return to the Premier League achieved in two. 

Supporters were furious at the sacking of the 48-year-old and understandably so. Adkins had worked wonders for Southampton, yet he'd been cast aside by his employers as they sought to take the club in a new direction. 

Yet, while the club looked to instill a fresh approach, many pondered as to whether Pochettino was the man to take Southampton forward. Having been sacked by Primera Division outfit Espanyol a little under two months before his appointment at St. Mary’s Stadium following an abysmal start to the campaign which left the Periquitos with just nine points from 13 games, the decision to bring the Argentine to the club left many a supporter scratching their head.

After a slow start to life on the south coast, Pochettino endeared himself to the Saints faithful in his fourth game in charge with a 3-1 win over then reigning champions Manchester City, and it was noted that the players pressing higher up the pitch had ensured a momentous three points had been attained. 

It’s evident that his plans are being relayed onto the pitch, with the Saints having won possession back in midfield 489 times in the 15 games he’s been in charge compared to the 554 in the 22 under Adkins - a significant mark up from 25.1 to 32.6 times per game. 

It isn’t just in midfield where the respective figures improve under Pochettino either, with Southampton winning possession 4.1 times per game in the attacking third compared to 3.2 under Adkins. In comparison, the club were winning the ball back in defence more times per game under Adkins (23.1) compared to Pochettino (22.1), but this could be attributed to the fact that the back four have been needed much less as a result of the midfield pressing. 

Unsurprisingly, Morgan Schneiderlin has been crucial to this, with the Frenchman accounting for 17.7% of the time that possession has been won in the midfield under Pochettino, although team-mate Jack Cork deserves praise for ensuring the manager’s system works.

The 23-year-old has been pivotal alongside Schneiderlin in the middle of the park, having won possession just 51 times under Adkins compared to the 78 under Pochettino, a rise to 15.9% from 9.2%. 

Again, when looking at the possession won in the attacking third, the major improvement comes from striker Jay Rodriguez, who has shown a notable mark up in performances since Pochettino took the reigns at St. Mary’s Stadium.

The striker has scored four and assisting a further four, as well as picking up two WhoScored.com man of the match awards, since the Argentine’s appointment, having played a part in every Premier League game under the 41-year-old. The former Burnley player is another that is adhering to the style that Pochettino demands, having won possession in the attacking third 10 times in 15 games - a figure level with Cork - compared to six times in 19 appearances under Adkins.

However, while winning back possession has been an improved facet under Pochettino, the south east club are still only scoring 1.2 goals per game under the Argentine - a figure marginally lower than under Adkins’ (1.3). 

Furthermore, that average figure has dropped to just 0.4 over the last five games, during which the Saints have failed to register a victory and scored just twice. In that time Rodriguez has failed to muster a WhoScored rating higher than 6.93, while as a collective the team haven't registered a score above the 6.96 garnered in the 0-0 draw with Swansea City. 

The poor ratings could well point to fatigue setting in towards the end of the season, as the team have looked to maintain the high energy levels. Southampton have won back possession in midfield only 158 times over their last five Premier League encounters, a drop from the 172 in the previous five games, which included victories over both Liverpool and Chelsea at home. 

On top of that, in the attacking third the Saints have only won possession from the opposition on 15 occasions over the last five Premier League games, a figure that has dropped more drastically from 27 in the five beforehand. 

The five game period between the defeat to QPR and the victory over Reading was when the midfield and attack had worked the hardest to retrieve the ball in attacking areas and in doing so, points to the players over exerting themselves in a bid to win possession.

It comes as little shock following the change in manager during the course of the year, but it’s evident that with thorough pre-season preparations, Pochettino can ensure that Southampton begin the new campaign fitter than they have shown over recent weeks. 

This high pressing system is one he adopted while with Espanyol and if he can continue to integrate this into the first team, the club will undoubtedly benefit. It has been proven that it can work, as the stats show, and with the Saints now safe from the threat of relegation, it’s likely the south coast side will prosper next season and continue to develop under Pochettino once their fitness levels are restored.