Player Focus: Saints Success Built On Solid Fonte Foundations

The toughest task that comes with selecting a Premier League team of the season is crowbarring 11 players into a team. In each position, a number of contenders are arguably worthy of a place in the XI and once the team is announced, discussion spreads like wildfire on who should and should not have been included. When the PFA Team of the Season was revealed on Sunday morning, fans took to Twitter to voice their opinion on the team. 

Champions-elect Chelsea duo Cesc Fàbregas and César Azpilicueta were both unfortunate not to feature, with their places in the team filled by Player of the Year nominee Philippe Coutinho and former Blues left-back Ryan Bertrand. Top goalscorer Sergio Agüero also missed out on a place in the team, with Diego Costa and Harry Kane the front pairing in the XI. 

However, perhaps the biggest oversight came at the heart of the defence. John Terry warrants a place in the PFA Team of the Year, of that there is no doubt. The Blues captain has - for some - been the best centre-back in England’s top tier this term yet it was teammate Gary Cahill who made it into the team. 

Cahill on his day can rightly be considered one of the finest centre-backs in the Premier League but this season the England international endured quite a significant drop in form, stemming from Chelsea’s 3-0 win over rivals Tottenham back in December. While his displays have improved of late, Cahill’s inclusion was rightly widely criticised. 

Another defender who can also feel aggrieved at being overlooked is Southampton skipper José Fonte. The defender moved to the south coast from Crystal Palace back in 2010 when Saints were mired in League One and has been a cornerstone in their rise up the divisions. Now firmly established as a Premier League side, Fonte has been crucial to their establishing themselves as one of England’s best teams. 

It could well have been so different after the Portugal international was heavily linked with a move to Cardiff City in the wake of the mass exodus from St. Mary’s last summer. But Fonte opted to remain at the club, with the experienced centre-back made captain in the wake of Lallana’s move to Liverpool. Key players leaving saw Saints dubbed as relegation candidates, though Ronald Koeman’s side proved the doubters wrong and emerged as contenders for a European finish in the aftermath. At the time of writing only 1 point separates themselves and Liverpool and Spurs in 5th and 6th, respectively. 

Fonte has impressed under Koeman and following Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Spurs, only Morgan Schneiderlin (7.51) has gained a better WhoScored rating than Fonte (7.25) of all Saints players this season. Fonte's rating has gradually improved since Saints' return to the Premier League and he is now considered one of their most important players, with his influence helping key summer acqusitions quickly adjust to the rigours of English football. 

3 of Saints’ usual back 5 under Koeman - Bertrand, Fraser Forster and Toby Alderweireld - all joined the club last summer which meant the defence required a leader to help the new arrivals settle and Fonte stepped up to the task at hand. With the centre-back commanding the backline, no team has conceded fewer goals in the Premier League this season than Southampton (26). An average of 2.1 tackles shows he does not shirk from a physical battle, while 3.1 interceptions per match - which ranks among the top 10 in the Premier League - highlights his impressive reading of the game and helps Saints quickly turn defence into attack.

However, it’s his composure when in possession that has impressed most. Koeman prefers his side to play the ball out from defence and it’s little wonder that only Marcos Rojo (60.6) and Gaël Clichy (59) are averaging more passes per league match of all defenders than Fonte (54.1) this season, with the defender's pass success rate a respectable 83.6%. Getting the midfielders on the ball - Schneiderlin in particular - has been crucial to Saints’ success this term, which Fonte looks to do so as frequently as possible. 

His performances certainly warrants adulation and given Cahill’s underwhelming displays alongside Terry at the heart of the Chelsea defence, Fonte has every right to be unhappy at not being included in this season’s PFA Team of the Year. Saints’ success, it can be argued, has been built on Fonte’s imposing displays at the back and if the south coast side do secure a European berth this season, they will have their captain to thank.

Do you think Fonte's Premier League performances warranted a place in the PFA Team of the Year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below