Saturday’s Premier League meeting between Southampton and Ipswich Town is certainly not short of potential talking points.
With both sides awaiting their first win – and Southampton awaiting their first point – a meeting between two of the three newly-promoted sides provides a real opportunity for either Kieran McKenna’s Tractor Boys or Russell Martin’s Saints to get off the mark at the fifth time of asking.
Southampton, meanwhile, had a bid rejected by Sunderland for Jack Clarke before Ipswich secured an initial £15 million deal for the winger, HITC understands.
That saw the Anglian outfit take some measure of revenge after missing out on Flynn Downes to this weekend’s hosts earlier in the very same transfer window.
Southampton beat Ipswich Town to Flynn Downes deal
Of course, last season’s play-off victors always had the edge over Ipswich.
Despite Downes’ emotional connection with McKenna’s team – he started his career at Portman Road, after all – the midfielder spent last season on loan at St Mary’s from West Ham United, striking up a fantastic relationship with a coach who quickly made him the centre-piece of his possession-obsessed side.
And, speaking to the East Anglian Daily Times, McKenna now confirms that Downes had indeed been lined up for a return to the 1981 UEFA Cup winners before opting to continue his career on the banks of the Solent instead to the tune of £20 million.
“Flynn is a very good player,” the former Manchester United assistant admits.
“Look, we’re two newly-promoted teams. They signed 16 players, we signed 12. So there’s always a good chance that you’re going to be talking to some of the same players at different stages of the window, and there were quite a few cases of that.”
The East Anglian Daily Times reports that Ipswich were keen on Taylor Harwood-Bellis before he too opted to sign a permanent deal with The Saints.
“Southampton have signed some very good players on top of the ones they already had,” McKenna adds. “We know we’ll have to prepare well for all of them on Saturday.”
Southampton welcome Ipswich to their home ground still reeling from the nature of last week’s 3-0 defeat by Man United.
Martin’s team started excellently, inspired by a lively Tyler Dibling. But after Cameron Archer missed a penalty Dibling himself won, Man United went up the other end and scored twice in the blink of an eye through Matthijs de Ligt and Marcus Rashford.
A brutal reminder – not that The Saints needed one – of just how unforgiving the Premier League can be.
Russell Martin pleading patience with The Saints
“I’m convinced we will get better and keep improving,” Martin said during his Thursday press conference, via Southampton’s official YouTube channel. “The more time the players have together, the better they’ll become.
“It was the case last season, which was a bigger change. We were trying to implement something totally different to the players. Now, a lot of them understand it but then we still have a lot of new guys who have come in.”
“Then also us adapting to the Premier League and that’s been interesting for us to learn.
Southampton have only scored once so far. Their goalscoring concerns were not helped by their failure ti agree a deal for Corinthians and Brazil striker Yuri Alberto.
And, while prolific in the Championship, concerns remain over Adam Armstrong. The former Newcastle United man has hit the net only four times in 71 top-flight games.
“Certain bits that were really effective in the Championship are maybe less so in the Premier League against certain opposition,” adds the former Swansea City and MK Dons boss.
“As well as the players, we’re finding our rhythm. The players are enjoying playing around with stuff on the training pitch and working stuff out for themselves as well, so they’re a big part of that.
“We will keep learning and we will keep adapting – but while remaining us. I said that to the players on Tuesday.”
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