Why I believe Southampton will be the best value team in #FPL this season:
[A Thread]

Likes and RT's appreciated
@OfficialFPL

Despite finishing outside the top 10 and having one of the lowest owned squads in FPL, I think Southampton are a real dark horse and could surprise a lot of people.

This thread will look over the following areas:

Their performance over last season
Signings for the new season
Rumoured signings
FPL suggestions

Southampton started last season in spectacularly poor fashion and with just 8 points taken from their first 12 games, it looked like they could be in for a very long and painful season.

In these 12 games they lacked a clear approach, often looking to force the ball rather than play in the patient manner we came accustomed to at the end of the season.

Over this period Hassenhuttl desperately looked for a solution, playing a total of 5 different formations.

The turning point came in gameweek 13, with a 2-2 draw at Arsenal. The result, although not a bad one, wasn't the catalyst, it was playing a 442.

The 442 regained some much needed defensive stability, and although they tried this earlier, the belief was now there in the squad.

From this point onwards Southampton seemed like a totally different team. They went from a relegation battle to pushing for European football, finishing just 7 points off a Europa league spot.

The form table for the last 25 games shows just how well they played.

Hassenhuttl had asserted a high pressing, ball playing side who looked to play good football.

However, they did run into a few defensive problems. The CB’s just weren’t good enough, which is why the summer signing of Salisu and rumoured signing of Ajer could be so important.

When the Saints signed Salisu, those that knew of the player were very surprised.

Salisu is a top talent, touted as one of the next big CB’s in Europe. He may take time to adapt, but could go on to be a great signing. Likewise the signing of Ajer would be a fantastic coup.

The depature of Højbjerg could understandably cause concern but there’s not really too much to worry about.

Although he’s a fantastic player, Romeu did seem to do a decent job stepping in, and since his depature they’ve been constantly linked with good replacements.

Looking at FPL reccomendations we’ll get the obvious out the way.

At £8.5m Danny Ings looks to be a bargain. Gaining 22 goals and 2 assists last season if he keeps that form he’ll be great value.

As for FPL threats, Armstrong seems to be their best undervalued asset.

Priced at £5.5m he was in inspired form post lockdown, scoring two and providing three assists in the six games and looks to be fairly nailed on.

It may also be worth seeing how much gametime Che Adams gets.

Although he rarely played at the start of the season, he seemed to become a more relevant player post-lockdown and after scoring 4 in 6 he could be a good differential.

Priced at £4.5m, Walker-Peters could be an easy way into the Southampton defence.

With him playing as an attacking full back it’s likely that he will pick up some assists throughout the season, and for £4.5m he could be a decent enabler.

With relatively easy opening fixtures, Southampton could be a good punt early on.

It doesn’t seem too extreme to suggest they could quite easily win 3/4 opening games, with the other being a tougher fixture at home to Spurs.

I think it’s also worth noting that the team that’s arguably been the best value over the last two seasons (Wolves), seem to be under dire circumstances.

Without a proper RB at the club and with Nuno threatening to leave, Southampton could become the ‘Wolves’ of this season.

Overall, I would say Southampton are a side in great form no one is talking about.

Whilst they may not reach the heights of European football, I still think they have potential to be a solid top half side and it’s worthwhile investing in some of their players, at least early on.

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