Lifelong Southampton fan and Head of Southampton news now, reviews Southampton FC season and predicts what beholds Ralph Hasenhüttl’s men when the season restarts.
Southampton FC early season form:
At the start of this season, many Southampton fc fans were highly optimistic and were expecting a much better campaign than the previous two. The Saints spent big in the summer to bring in Che Adams and Moussa Djenepo, but they didn’t get off to the greatest of starts.
An opening day battering at the hands of Burnley and a narrow defeat at home to Liverpool had many fans worrying, and despite impressive away wins against Brighton and Sheffield United, Southampton FC struggled to string any form together. Come October, the Saints had slipped into the drop zone, and things were about to get a whole lot worse.
Southampton FC midseason slump in form
In late October, Live on Friday Night Football, a record-breaking 9-0 defeat at home to Leicester meant Southampton were in deep, deep trouble, and many fans were calling for Ralph Hasenhüttl’s head. The Southampton board made a brave decision to stick by Hasenhüttl, and boy did it pay off!
November- December Southampton FC’s turning point
In late November, Southampton were still in the bottom 3, but back-to-back wins against fellow strugglers Watford and Norwich catapulted them out of the drop zone. This was also a turning point in the Saints’ season, as they were about to begin a rich vein of form.
Southampton carried their momentum into December, and they recorded impressive back-to-back away wins against Aston Villa and Chelsea, before drawing at home to Crystal Palace.
Southampton’s best home result of the season came on New Year’s Day, where a Danny Ings wonder goal was enough to beat Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham 1-0. The Saints were beginning to shoot up the table.
In mid-January, the Saints recorded their best result of the season, beating Leicester 1-2 away from home, to avenge the 9-0 trashing they suffered in October. At one stage in January, Southampton had incredibly moved up as high as 9th in the table, and fans were beginning to dream of European football.
However, in February, Southampton went slightly off the boil, winning only once to complete the double over Aston Villa. Back-to-back losses have left Southampton relatively comfortable in 14th place, sitting on 34 points.
All in all, it’s been a rollercoaster of a season so far, with many ups and downs. The main positive for Southampton has been Danny Ings, who has been their standout player. Ings has scored 18 goals in all competitions this season and was in line for an England call-up before the Euros got canceled due to the recent Corona Virus outbreak.
Southampton FC key players this season:
1. Danny Ings
Ings is currently the fifth-highest scorer in the league this season, and he is the highest Premier League goalscorer for Southampton since James Beattie. He has been a breath of fresh air for the Saints, who have done brilliantly to keep him fit and firing.
2. James Ward Prowse
Another standout player for Southampton has been James Ward-Prowse. The England international has been crucial for Southampton this season, starting every single game in every single competition this season. Ward-Prowse has taken up a much deeper role in Ralph Hasenhüttl’s preferred 4-2-2-2 formation this season, and he has recently become a lot more aggressive and nasty, making him the perfect midfield partner to Pierre Hojbjerg.
All in all, it’s been a good season for the Saints, and a big improvement compared to the last 2 seasons. Ralph Hasenhüttl’s main focus will now be to secure safety and begin preparing for next season.
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