Under-21s: All the changes for the 2023/24 season
After a successful 2022/23 season in the Academy, there are some changes on and off the pitch for Southampton’s youngsters ahead of the new Premier League 2 campaign.
Firstly, after the side’s revamp in 2020 to become ‘Southampton B team’, Saints’ youngsters will be returning to the 'Under-21s' name whilst still maintaining the principles and first team integration that was built under the ‘B team’ format.
On the pitch, the PL2 has undergone a restructuring of its own with both divisions merging into one 25-team group of Category One clubs with promotion and relegation removed, defined as the ‘Swiss model’.
Instead of a traditional league format, teams will be placed into five pots based on their seeding from recent league performances. There will be games between all sides in the same pot as well as an additional four or five teams from other pots.
This will result in 20 matches for each team that will be followed by a play-off style end to the season where the top 16 clubs face each other in knockout ties to determine an eventual winner.
Away from the league, Saints’ youngsters will not be competing in the Papa Johns Trophy or the PL Cup this season but will be making a return to the PL International Cup for the first time since the 2019/20 season.
Fixtures for the Under-21s are expected to be released in due course.
