For any Premier League newcomer, being compared to Vincent Kompany’s Burnley must feel like an ambitious young chef being told his food would fit in nicely on the Wetherspoons menu.
Last season’s Burnley side, after all, act as a masterclass in what not to do if you are keen to survive an immediate return to the second tier.
From a host of ill-fitting and overpriced signings to a reckless, naive style of play which saw The Clarets picked off time and again when trying to build from the back; that disastrous 2023/24 campaign is something Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton will be desperate not to emulate.
But Paul Scholes, the Manchester United legend, cannot get Kompany’s self-sabotaging Burnley out of his head when running the rule over Southampton.
The Belgian certainly fell upwards when he joined Bayern Munich shortly after their relegation.
And recent top-flight history does not reflect well on clubs who arrive in the big league attempting to play a patient, expansive, possession-based gameplan.
Before the calamitous Clarets came Daniel Farke’s Norwich City (twice finishing bottom), Scott Parker’s Fulham, and a Leeds side who’s magic wore off rapidly during Marcelo Bielsa’s traumatic second season.
Paul Scholes concerned for Russell Martin’s Southampton
“I think Southampton will go down. I think that’s a very Burnley-like situation,” Scholes tells The Overlap on YouTube. “I don’t mind managers sticking to their philosophy and being stubborn about it because that is the way they want to play.
“But (Burnley) fell short and they did not score enough goals either. I think Southampton will just fall short (too).”
No team in the Championship averaged more possession per game than Southampton’s 66 per cent last season. Manager Martin told the BBC immediately after defeating Leeds in the play-off final that he ‘won’t change’ his plan, either.
But Saints fans will be hoping that, unlike Farke and Kompany before him, Martin has enough awareness to realise that possession and pragmatism maybe have to go hand in hand.
The experience of Adam Lallana, the return of Flynn Downes, and a handful of proven top-flight operators in Kyle Walker-Peters, Jan Bednarek, Jack Stephens and Charlie Taylor should help.
Walker-Peters remains despite interest from West Ham.
Adam Armstrong must silence his doubters
Scholes does have further doubts, however, about the attacking options at Martin’s disposal. Star £15 million striker Adam Armstrong is under pressure to prove that he can make the step up and prove he is a ‘Premier League quality striker‘.
With 24 goals last season but only five in 53 Premier League games, Armstrong currently resides amongst amongst those labelled ‘too good for the Championship but not good enough for the Premier League’ with Matej Vydra, Dwight Gayle and co for company.
“The big worry I have about Southampton is the amount of goals you are going to score,” Scholes adds. “You mentioned it there with Adam Armstrong. I always think teams that come up, if they can score goals, it gives you a real chance.
“That’s why I’ve got half a fancy for Ipswich, because I really think they will score goals. They play brilliant attacking football. They throw players in the box.
“You’re going to have to rely on the likes of Adam Armstrong and I’m just not sure.”
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