Season Preview: Why Saints should be excited for top-flight return

It’s the eve of the new Premier League season and Southampton are back amongst the big time, following a remarkable Sky Bet Championship campaign that ended in Wembley delight.

Trips to the likes of Ewood Park, The Den and Hillsborough will now be replaced with trips to Old Trafford, Villa Park and straight off the bat, St. James’ Park; while back home, St Mary’s will play host to some of the very best footballers in the world throughout the campaign.

It’s a challenge, but one that brings great excitement – and there’s plenty of reasons to believe Southampton are equipped for the task. Here are the major ones.

Plenty of continuity – and therefore familiarity

Promotions come in various forms. Some clubs carry a settled squad into the top tier and add sprinklings of quality here and there; others are forced to make wholesale changes and amend half the starting XI in time for matchday one.

Fortunately, Southampton are much more the former than the latter – but only because of some swift work done early in the summer, converting important loanees into permanent members of the squad. That began with Taylor Harwood-Bellis, with his signature sealed the moment the final whistle went at Wembley back in May, then Flynn Downes followed just two days after the Euro 2024 final.

As a result of this, Russell Martin has the opportunity to field nine of the 11 players that beat Leeds United in the play-off final this weekend, with strong continuity running through both the personnel and the tactical setup. That puts Saints on the front foot to start the season.

Fresh quality

None of that is to say Southampton haven’t added quality over the summer – they have. The defence has been a particular focus so far, with four of the six senior signings targeted for this area.

Ball-playing centre-backs Ronnie Edwards and Nathan Wood have bolstered the centre of the line. Both are taking their first steps at this level, but they boast great potential and add incredible depth to Saints’ CB corps, which wards against injury crises.

At full-back, Yukinari Sugawara brings an exciting dynamism and a bit of set-piece magic to the right, while Charlie Taylor brings vast experience and grit to the left. Taylor can also play centre-back if needed and has partnered Harwood-Bellis in the past, when they both played for Burnley.

Ben Brereton Díaz arrives to help the goalscoring load up top; he netted six in 14 Premier League appearances last season and looks ready to build on his first experience in England’s top flight. Just behind him, Adam Lallana has returned to St Mary’s, with his impact likely to be measured in more ways than one…

Focus on leadership and togetherness

Lallana has certainly been around the block. It’s been a decade since he donned the Southampton shirt and in his time away he’s won the Premier League and the Champions League (among other trophies). “Definitely wiser, definitely smarter” by his own admission.

Expectations on Lallana’s playing time should likely be tempered, with his greater impact likely to be felt in the dressing room: setting standards, maintaining a positive mood, helping the younger players understand what’s required to survive at the top level.

Bringing his voice back into the dressing room is the latest in a series of moves made by Martin that clearly lean into ensuring his squad has strong leadership qualities. Harwood-Bellis captained England’s Under-21s; Adam Armstrong, who wore the armband 28 times last season, and Downes are very vocal; while club captain Jack Stephens is a binding force among the group.

Harwood-Bellis is already asserting team values, speaking of the need for aggression in Saints’ play; Stephens elaborated on that at the fans’ forum, insisting that the group can be street-wise and cynical when required.

This togetherness is an intangible, yet powerful tool in the hunt for survival.

Ready to step up – on the pitch and in the dugout

Saturday’s bout with Newcastle United will be the 234th game of Martin’s managerial career, yet it will still be something of a step into the unknown, as it’ll be his first in the Premier League. It’s a big step—but it’s one he’s ready to take.

For five years, he coached some of the most aesthetically pleasing football the EFL has had to offer, training MK Dons, then Swansea City, and then Southampton to play fluid possession football. Those who coach this style often draw criticism for being unwilling to adapt and shore up when required, but Martin did exactly that during the 2023/24 run-in, tweaking the shape of the team and tailoring a specific role for Stephens in order for it to thrive. Tactical adaptability is crucial and Martin has more than shown it.

Some of the players who experienced relegation in 2023 will be eager for another crack at the big time too; they return to this level in better shape than ever, with more confidence than ever, ready to set the record straight.

Armstrong, in particular, is one to watch. There’s a sense that Martin has found the perfect role for him to thrive in, and after a season in which he scored 24 and assisted 13 more, he seems primed to finally hit the ground running in the Premier League.