Day 1: Southampton

Everyday, from now until Christmas Eve, we will take a look at a Premier League club and rate their season so far. Today, it is Southampton’s turn to be put under the microscope as we begin our Premier League Christmas Countdown.

I think it is fair to say that Southampton have been really poor so far this season. After 13 games, they sit rock bottom of the Premier League with just five points and looking at their next fixtures, I don’t see them getting any more any time soon. Next up they have Chelsea, Aston Villa and Tottenham and for the first of those three, they’ll be without Aaron Ramsdale, Jan Bednarek, Tyler Dibling, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Flynn Downes.

Not to be dramatic but I’ll be very happy if we keep it below 4 tonight.

The boys are under a lot of pressure not just because of the position in the league but also with the players who are out and players who come in NEED TO STEP UP! #SaintsFC

— Mitchell Symonds (@MSymonds10) December 4, 2024

This sums up how the season has gone, as a mixture of injuries, and now suspensions, have really plagued their campaign.

A Slow Start

Southampton only lost both of their first two games by a single goal to nil, away at St James’ Park and at home against Nottingham Forest. These two results were by no means good, but they showed that the Saints had the ability to stay in games rather than be blown away. They dominated possession in both games, which is a theme for Southampton, but were unable to convert this into a goal.

Their first goal came at the end of August against Brentford, however they were already 3-0 down and it ended up being just a consolation. By the end of September, they had only scored three times and amassed just one point in a 1-1 draw against Ipswich.

Martin Out?

By this point, the fact that they tended to have more possession in games was being seen as less of a positive by fans and more as a reason to get rid of manager Russel Martin. Southampton were conceding a lot due to their own defensive errors while trying to play out from the back and fans and pundits alike were suggesting that the Saints would do a lot better if Martin changed his playstyle.

It’s so over #SaintsFC pic.twitter.com/f64ZLs1tPd

— allen (@a11en222) December 3, 2024

To be honest, I think that Southampton have been too lenient on Martin. Southampton got their first league win at the beginning of November. Before this, they had bottled a two goal lead over fellow strugglers Leicester, who have since sacked their manager. If I were in charge at the Saints, Martin would have been out the door the next morning.

A Recent Uptick

November has been by far the best month for Southampton. It started with their first Premier League win of the season against Everton and while their defeat against Wolves was disappointing, they managed to follow up that result by forcing Liverpool to score a late winner to overcome them.

After a long VAR Check Cameron Archer’s 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Goal is Disallowed ❌

Adam Armstrong 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 was in an offside position and was deemed to have affected the play 😬 pic.twitter.com/o5DDAyFbnU

— Every Premier League Club (@EveryPremier) November 29, 2024

Last weekend they earnt another point away at Brighton, which really should have been three. They were denied a late winner by VAR, but the whole situation around that has been controversial. Even so, to draw away against a top side like Brighton is definitely promising.

Player of the Season

It’s hard to give anyone player of the season for Southampton because of how poor they’ve been. Only Adam Armstrong and Cameron Archer have scored more than once, and for all of the talk about Tyler Dibling, he has only shown glimpses of what his future holds.

For me, Armstrong has probably been their best player so far this season especially as you consider that he has already equalled his best Premier League goal tally for a single season with two goals. He also scored the winner in their only victory this season, so that must count for something. Saints fans will probably have something to say about this judging by the social media rants about him, but when you’re struggling for points, goals need to be scored, and Armstrong does that.

Season Rank: F

End of Season Prediction: 20th