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Premier League finish, top goalscorer and season preview

Posted By joeerazer
August 15, 2024
1:13 am
01j58h0vmge9dkdk8pq7 Premier League finish, top goalscorer and season preview

A miserable 2022/23 Premier League season meant a rebuild was in order for Russell Martin at Southampton, but the new boss inspired the Saints back into the top flight at the first time of asking.

Martin’s young squad thrived in the second tier and, while they were only briefly part of a thrilling title race, a 1-0 win over Leeds United at Wembley meant they secured promotion via the play-offs.

The manager’s immense achievement with an inexperienced group of players shouldn’t be overlooked, but Martin certainly has his work cut out if he’s to retain the Saints’ Premier League status upon their return to the big time.

Here’s 90min’s season preview of Southampton’s 2024/25 campaign.

Ralph Hasenhuttl had worked wonders on the south coast to provide stability at St. Mary’s but his reign came to a sudden halt at the start of a dire 2022/23 campaign in which Southampton were comfortably the worst team in the Premier League.

However, a slick rebuilding job overseen by Martin saw the Saints enjoy a prosperous campaign in the tough Championship. They perhaps weren’t expected to earn promotion right away, but that’s exactly what they achieved.

A slog of a league campaign beckons, but perhaps the Saints could enjoy a cup run or two in 2024/25? They’ve reached the semi-finals of both the FA Cup and EFL Cup since 2021.

Season

Premier League

FA Cup

EFL Cup

2023/24

4th (Championship, promoted via play-offs)

R5

R1

2022/23

20th

R5

SF

2021/22

15th

QF

R4

2020/21

15th

SF

R2

2019/20

11th

R4

R4

Flynn Downes

Southampton completed the permanent signing of Flynn Downes / Paul Harding/GettyImages

While Flynn Downes has retained the number four from his loan spell, centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis will don the six shirt having completed his permanent move to Southampton. The young defender wore 21 in the Championship last season.

Alex McCarthy remains the club’s number one and the veteran shot-stopper is set to play a big role for Martin at the start of the new season given Gavin Bazunu’s long-term absence.

Number

Player

1

Alex McCarthy

2

Kyle Walker-Peters

3

Ryan Manning

4

Flynn Downes

5

Jack Stephens

6

Taylor Harwood-Bellis

7

Joe Aribo

8

Will Smallbone

9

Adam Armstrong

10

Adam Lallana

11

Ross Stewart

12

Ronnie Edwards

13

Joe Lumley

14

James Bree

15

Nathan Wood

16

Yukinari Sugawara

17

Ben Brereton Diaz

18

Sekou Mara

20

Kamaldeen Sulemana

21

Charlie Taylor

22

Carlos Alcaraz

23

Samuel Edozie

24

Shea Charles

27

Sam Amo-Ameyaw

28

Juan Larios

29

Jayden Meghoma

30

Mateusz Lis

31

Gavin Bazunu

33

Tyler Dibling

35

Jan Bednarek

37

Armel Bella-Kotchap

*Numbers subject to change before end of transfer window

In

The Saints have signed a couple of loan stars key to their promotion on permanent deals, including Harwood-Bellis and Downes from Man City and West Ham respectively. Brereton Diaz showed he was comfortable at this level with Sheffield United last season and will offer a dynamic attacking threat. Adam Lallana and Charlie Taylor are shrewd veteran additions.

Player

Joined From

Fee

Taylor Harwood-Bellis

Man City

£20m

Flynn Downes

West Ham

£18m

Ben Brereton Diaz

Villarreal

£7m

Ronnie Edwards

Peterborough

£6m

Yukinara Sugarawa

AZ Alkmaar

£5m

Nathan Wood

Swansea

£3m

Kuryu Matsuki

FC Tokyo

Undisclosed

Adam Lallana

Brighton

Free transfer

Rento Takaoka

Nissho Gakuen

Free transfer

Charlie Taylor

Burnley

Free transfer

Juan

Sao Paulo

Free transfer

Welington

Sao Paulo

Free transfer

Out

The club has parted ways with several members of the old guard that succumbed to the second tier two seasons ago. Not many supporters will be disappointed to see the backs of Lyanco, Romain Perraud and Duje Caleta-Car. Che Adams has got a gig at Torino following his release.

Player

Club Joined

Fee

Lyanco

Atletico-MG

£4m

Romain Perraud

Real Betis

£3m

Duje Caleta-Car

Lyon

£3m

Kuryu Matsuki

Goztepe

Loan deal

Che Adams

Torino

Free transfer

Stuart Armstrong

Released

Free transfer

Home kit

Southampton v Getafe - Pre-Season Friendly

It’s a Brentford kit from ten years ago / Joe Portlock/GettyImages

Away kit

Third kit

Nathan Wood

That is bright / Visionhaus/GettyImages

Ben Brereton Diaz

Ben Brereton Diaz scored six goals for Sheffield United last season / Robin Jones/GettyImages

Adam Armstrong is a proven goalscorer in the second tier. The diminutive but explosive forward scored 24 times in all competitions last season. However, he’s yet to prove himself in the Premier League and that should be of some concern for Martin.

Armstrong has just four Premier League goals to his name in 53 appearances. There has to be an improvement in 2024/25, but the Englishman won’t be setting the world alight.

With Che Adams out of the picture, new signing Ben Brereton Diaz could take the goalscoring mantle. The Chilean forward has also excelled in the EFL but did show for a woeful Sheffield United team last season he can produce at this level, scoring six Premier League goals in 14 games during the second half of 2023/24.

A powerful runner who’s proven to be efficient in front of goal over the years, Diaz is a strong candidate to top Southampton’s scoring charts.

This could be a long campaign for Southampton. The Saints continue to stockpile youth, but Martin currently has a squad which is not cut out for the rigours of the Premier League. What he does have is a bunch of very good Championship players.

That, unfortunately, isn’t going to cut it.

Should he continue with the possession-oriented ideals of 2023/24, Southampton will struggle to finish anywhere but at the foot of the table. It could get ugly.

Southampton 2024/25 Premier League prediction – 19th

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