Southampton’s poor Premier League season was something of a shock but it might be exactly what they needed.
Southampton sunk this season to the lowest they have been since promotion in 2012. That, obviously, is a step backwards for a club that has long been the ‘best of the rest’ in the Premier League, but there might be a chance to take two steps forward.
The Saints have developed a reputation for selling their best players over the last few years, consistently seeing their stars disappear before they have had the chance to build around them.
Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren, Rickie Lambert, Nathaniel Clyne, Morgan Schneiderlin, Victor Wanyama, Sadio Mane, Graziano Pelle, Jose Fonte, and Virgil van Dijk have all brought a lot of cash to the club, but their sales mean Southampton get little else from what is clearly a fantastic scouting network.
Every time they find something that works it is back to square one, as the player who makes them tick invariably moves away and they are left having to do what they can just to stand still. And repeat, season after season.
Except for this one. There is no standout player at the club and there is no desperate race to sign any of their players; for the first time in five years, Southampton can actually look at their squad and work out how to improve it.
If their scouting is still anywhere near as good as it has been over that period, the team will take big strides forward this summer in improving their side.
It is not the way they wanted it to come about but Southampton’s poor season might finally give them the breathing room to stride forward.
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