Opening Day Of The Season 2000 - Derby County
Friday, 10th Aug 2012 08:29

Another opening day, another manager for the first full season of the new millenium, but all eyes were now on a building site in Northam.

Perhaps the turmoil of the nineties can be summed up by the number of different managers we had on the opening day, in the ten seasons from 1990-99, we had a total of 6 different managers and for anyone that says that its about continuity, the only two who managed more than one opening day of the season fixture where Ian Branfoot and David Jones, both of whom presided over some of the most calamitous periods of the decade.

For 2000/01 the name on the managers door was Glenn Hoddle and its fair to say that Saints fans were for the first time in a long time optimistic, Hoddle had come in six months or so previous and steadied the ship, not only that but he had proved that on the face of it Saints had a decent squad, it just needed someone to come in and organise it in the right way.

Wayne Bridge somewhat indifferent as a left winger was converted to a left back by Hoddle, although in fairness to Dave Jones, it had always been the dour Scousers intention to do that and he had told Supporters groups at a fans forum a year or so earlier that Bridge was a natural left back and would make that position his own.

But the main arrival in the City wasnt a player but on a building site in Northam where Saints fans rubbed their eyes in disbelief as finally they could see the new stadium talked about for decades rising from the mud of the old gasworks.

In the transfer market it was quiet, Hoddle brought in Mark Draper from Aston Villa and in a surprise Uwe Rosler on a free transfer and who remembers Patrice Tano who was to be the next big thing, or rather wasn't to be.

Boa Morte went off to Fulham and sadly John Beresford, David Howells and David Hughes all accepted the inevitable and retired due to knee injuries, rumours that James Beattie who found himself in the reserves in the opening months of Hoddle's reign would be off to Crystal Palace for £3 million proved unfounded.

But Beattie was on the bench for the opening day trip to Derby County and it was Rosler who lead the line alongside Kevin Davies as 27,223 passed through the Pride Park turnstiles, but it would be the majority in the crowd who would be stunned when after 14 minutes Hassan Katchloul slid the ball home from close range, six minutes later it was Katchloul again (strangely his only other goals in this season would be another double on the closing day).

But if Saints fans though that master tactician Glenn Hoddle would steer his side to a win they would be sadly mistaken, within ten minutes the deficit was halved and although Saints went in at the break 2-1 up, within two minutes of the restart the game was tied at 2-2 and there it stayed until the final minute of injury time when Hassan Katchloul found himself one on one with the keeper to win the game, sadly as i have already mentioned his next goal would not come literally seventy minutes later, but nine months later in his final game for the club.

Saints fans were encouraged for the new season though, certainly in that opening half hour they looked superb, however the old defensive frailties were still there, although in fairness Dean Richards wasnt able to play and Tahar El Khalej partnered Claus Lundekvam.

The season got off to its usual poor start though, even with the tactical nous of Hoddle, it would be the sixth game before the first win, but from then on Saints built steadily, being extremely hard to beat, however with Saints turmoil always seems to be only round the corner and just as it seemed we were on the verge of something good with five straight wins pushing us up to 8th in March, only 5 points off of third spot and a game in hand over many clubs, it seemed like a UEFA Cup campaign to christen the new stadium rising quickly on the Southampton skyline was a real possibility, however as we all know things change fast in football.

Photo: Action Images

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