It’s been a difficult summer for Southampton and even more so for their holding midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin.
Amid an abrupt, wholesale exodus of the club’s top talents, the Frenchman assumed he would be leaving St. Mary’s too, with both Arsenal and Tottenham baying for his signature. Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren all joined Liverpool, Luke Shaw left for Manchester United whilst the Gunners picked up the latest product from the Saints’ academy – now-England international Calum Chambers. Manager Mauricio Pochettino – the mastermind keeping the group together – also jumped ship to Spurs.
Schneiderlin understandably felt he’d also earned a move to the big-time, the upper echelons of the Premier League table. After all, whilst Lovren, Shaw and Chambers were relatively new additions to the Southampton first team, he’s amassed 234 appearances for the Saints, having joined the south coast side before their stint in League One. The potential return on their original £1.2million investment would have been huge, and the 24 year-old has more than served the club well since 2008.
Yet, it was revealed via a Twitter outburst following a meeting with Director of Football Les Reed and chairman Ralph Kruger that Schneiderlin would not be allowed to leave, his quality, leadership and continuity considered too integral – especially after the loss of four England and one Croatian internationals.
It seemed a relationship that could not be repaired, the midfielder tweeting; “Six years of an amazing journey destroyed in one hour.” It must have actually been quite heart-breaking, witnessing his team-mates and friends gain the big-money transfers their form deserved, only to be told he would have to wait behind for at least another year.
I have no doubts Morgan Schneiderlin is a consummate professional, but after such a disruptive summer, you’d expected his performances to be naturally subdued, his mind in part on other matters, his mood understandably less positive than the season before.
Yet, Schneiderlin’s displays this season have been nothing short of talismanic for Southampton. He’s near the top of the Premier League’s tackling charts as expected, but has added a new string to his bow with two goals in just three appearances, already matching his entire output from last term.
We already knew the former Strasbourg youngster was a talented player; one of the English top flight’s best when it comes to consistency, work-rate and defensive protection in midfield. As if Arsenal and Tottenham’s well-documented interest wasn’t enough testament, before the current season, Schneiderlin had made more tackles, 259, and more interceptions, 207, than any Premier League player since Southampton’s top flight ascension in summer 2012.
That forced him into the France squad for the World Cup, where he even made an appearance in the group stages despite the immense quality his country possess in the middle of the park, including such names as Blaise Matuidi, Yohan Cabaye and Paul Pogba, whilst Lassana Diarra and Maxime Gonalons – to name a few – were left behind.
But whilst his talents were well known, the manner in which Schneiderlin has handled his transfer situation gives a vital insight into his mental strengths too. Lesser players would coil into themselves, yet the Frenchman has come back more determined than ever, filling the void in terms of quality and leadership created by Southampton’s six first-team departures this summer.
Southampton reportedly warded off suitors after Schneiderlin’s outburst with a £30million valuation. That was a price they knew both Spurs and Arsenal couldn’t pay – the former already well-equipped in defensive midfield and the latter’s manager, Arsene Wenger, seemingly not taking the intrinsic need for a holding midfielder as seriously as the Gunners’ fanbase. It would have also equated to Southampton’s biggest departure of the summer, one that both north London clubs would have felt unable to truly justify.
But the France international’s form this season suggests he’s taken that more as a challenge than a cause for demotivation. Southampton have labelled him a £30million player and now he’s determined to prove it. By next summer, and in comparison to the similar price-tags mooted for the likes of Lars Bender, Kevin Strootman and William Carvalho, that could well feel like a rather reasonable fee, considering Schneiderlin has already proved his quality in and suitability to the Premier League.
In the modern era where player power rules supreme, Schneiderlin’s attitude, application and form throughout his first three appearances of the season has been remarkably refreshing. If Arsenal or Tottenham had any doubts over the midfielder’s abilities or his character, surely they are now exonerated. Schneiderlin is a player destined for the big-time; it’s now simply a case of who is prepared to take him there.
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