Our Story: Southampton – The supervisor, captain and returning hero embarking on Premier League 2024/25 marketing campaign | Soccer Information

Southampton is not going to be affected by any exterior narrative on their return to the Premier League.

Saints have been tipped by many pundits for relegation after they have been promoted following victory over Leeds in final season’s Championship play-off remaining.

They face a tricky opener at Newcastle on Saturday, with Saints, Leicester and Ipswich being bookmakers’ early favourites for the drop. Sky Sports activities caught up with the supervisor, captain and returning hero forward of the curtain-raiser at St James’ Park.

The supervisor: Russell Martin

Given the monetary implications had Southampton not come again up on the first time of asking, supervisor Russell Martin admits failure to achieve promotion would have had vital ramifications on the membership.

“For me, it was very important,” the 38-year-old tells Sky Sports activities. “For the membership, it was big and it was very important and can decide the subsequent 5 to 10 years for certain by way of how the membership will look and the way we will keep it up rising and constructing.

“If we didn’t get promoted, it would look very different in terms of how the team would be built. Given the number of staff the club has, there would have been financial implications so in terms of making sure people kept their jobs and those who have been here for a long time, it was a big relief.”

Like all earlier aspect promoted by way of the play-offs, Saints have been rapidly getting ready for the step-up in school.

However their latest top-flight standing already places them better off over a membership like Luton City, who have been compelled to play their opening two video games final season away from residence as Kenilworth Street went by the mandatory stadium enhancements.

St Mary’s is of Premier League commonplace, as are the services at Southampton’s state-of-the-art coaching floor, the Staplewood Campus in Marchwood.

The Championship play-off trophy holds delight of place as you stroll by the doorways of the Markus Liebherr Pavilion, named after the late former proprietor whose plaque beneath the membership crest adorning the reception partitions encapsulates his affect.

“Saved Southampton Football Club and blessed it with his vision: high-quality football, a respectful environment and a sustainable future. Thank you, Markus. This is your legacy,” it reads.

Throughout the season Saints have been relegated from the Premier League, these core ideas have been severely examined by a sequence of dangerous choices. Put merely, Southampton had misplaced their identification.

’25 gamers informed me they needed to go away’

A club-record 25 league defeats, two managerial sackings adopted by an interim appointment that wasn’t made everlasting spoke of a division that had by no means been seen throughout Liebherr’s tenure and spelled relegation for the primary time in 11 years.

The arrival of Phil Parsons as the brand new chief government in June 2023 has helped get Saints again on the march. Jason Wilcox was appointed director of soccer, and whereas the 53-year-old has already departed to affix Manchester United, followers are now not indignant on the demise of the crew.

Religion is slowly being restored in homeowners Sport Republic. Trying again on when he was appointed 14 months in the past, Martin says: “I have been relegated twice from the Premier League as a participant so I knew it could be tough.

“In the staff and the players, you feel it. The energy and the negativity from the season before, of course it carries over because you go away and it affects your whole summer. It affects everything.

“Folks fear about their positions, gamers need to get again to the Premier League. Out of the 31 gamers we had, about 24-25 of them had seen me and stated that they have been in all probability going to go away or wish to depart due to how they felt in regards to the final yr.

“It was tougher than I assumed it could be. Once I arrived, I do not suppose it was anticipated the membership would have been relegated, whereas now we’re higher ready for that shifting ahead within the hope that it would not occur once more.

“We hope we can stay in the Premier League and build something that is sustainable and keeps us there for a long time.”

Martin overcame a tough begin. He misplaced 4 of his opening eight Championship video games. Defeat to Middlesbrough left the membership fifteenth in late September however the brand new supervisor was steadfast in sticking to his taking part in fashion.

Duty was taken absolutely by the supervisor and endurance was proven. A well-received followers’ discussion board helped within the alignment course of. Belief in Martin’s model of soccer was duly rewarded as a 22-game unbeaten league run catapulted the aspect into the promotion image.

“There was still some scar tissue and negative feeling for sure from the season before but slowly over time that eroded and went,” admits Martin, who has averaged 64 per cent possession throughout 5 seasons as a supervisor at MK Dons, Swansea and now at Southampton.

“The players gave me everything in a brilliant and challenging year. From where we were to where we are now in terms of how it feels, how people are, it’s been amazing.

“That is to not take a shot at anybody – three managers and relegation will in fact take its toll so I am simply grateful for the way everybody then purchased into us and what they gave us.”

‘We set up a team that I would’ve loved to play in’

Shopping for into Martin’s philosophy entails being fearless on the ball and aggressive with out it. “If it’s right some of the time, it is right all of the time,” is how he places it to his gamers.

Final season, his aspect have been high within the Championship for common possession (66.1), passes per sport (667) and passes ending within the remaining third (179).

However there’s nothing smooth about Martin’s Saints.

No Championship aspect compelled extra shot-ending excessive turnovers than Southampton’s 82 whereas Opta’s stats for Passes Per Defensive Motion (PPDA) – which measures urgent depth – present they boasted the bottom common of 10.4 passes made by rival groups earlier than they intervened with a defensive motion.

So for these encountering Martin the supervisor for the primary time, what may be anticipated from Southampton this season?

“My game model is to try to dominate the ball and to dominate territory,” he explains. “With that comes risk but we set up my team that I would have loved to have played in.

“Once I performed 600 video games as a participant, throughout I used to be attempting to study as I needed to educate and handle what was tough to play in opposition to. I checked out sure gamers and thought I would have liked to have been in a position to categorical myself like that.

“Why can’t I? Why didn’t I? I loved my career and I’m so grateful for it, but there were only a few games where I came off the pitch thinking I’ve been completely myself and there’s not been a decision made out of fear or I hadn’t been forced into anything.

“I can rely on one hand the variety of video games that was the case. I made it to the Premier League being like that in some way. So if I used to be stripped proper again and allowed to be the participant I actually needed to be, I believe what extra I might’ve achieved.

“Maybe I maximised my potential, but it left me fascinated. I’ve been on this journey since I started playing. I knew I would want to then coach and you just refine things over the years with the teams I’ve enjoyed watching.

“Now, I get the prospect to face the best supervisor presently within the sport, which for me is Pep Guardiola. Once I watch his crew, I believe it is lovely. That is the kind of soccer I get pleasure from. It’s going to be a privilege to see it up shut and to check myself in opposition to that.”

Martin’s side ranked second-highest for shots per game (15.5) and expected goals per game (1.76) in last season’s Championship but he adapted his approach in the play-offs after losing three of the last four league matches.

Getting his team over the line showed another string to his bow, but Martin believes Southampton can only stay up by being true to themselves.

“For me, it could be loopy and illogical to get to the Premier League after which change it fully. We nonetheless must have the intention of eager to dominate the ball – we simply must be higher at it. After all, it may be more durable and we will must be comfy with groups having the ball.

“When we have it, we need to continue being the team that we are and remind ourselves of how the club has embarked on a journey with me and through the academy to build a certain type of player, a way of behaving where everything is aligned.

“To rip up a year of building and try something different wouldn’t make sense so we’re going to stick with it. It’s a beautiful challenge but I really believe we can surprise people but what I cannot and will not accept is for fear to overtake us.

“I do not suppose we keep up taking part in ugly as that is simply not us. The probabilities of us staying up lower considerably if we do not attempt to be the crew we need to be.

“I believe in this way of playing, not because I think it looks good. Yes, I enjoy watching it and being part of it, but if I didn’t think it was the best way to win, I wouldn’t do it. We’ll be defined by how we respond to setbacks.”

Martin has his sights set on creating expertise, maximising potential and constructing one thing sustainable. Simply as Liebherr would have needed it.

The captain: Jack Stephens

Southampton’s gamers have been utilizing the pre-season tag as favourites for relegation as motivation. “It’s part of the story,” says Martin.

“When we were written off last September by everyone outside, it became part of the story as well. My job as a coach is to convince the players that they are good enough to do what I’m asking them to do and to make them believe.”

One participant who has taken on loads of gasoline since Martin’s arrival is Jack Stephens. The centre-back was on mortgage at Bournemouth in the course of the second half of the 2022/23 season.

It appeared as if the 30-year-old had no future on the south coast membership, and would possible have been bought had Southampton stayed up final yr.

However Stephens was appointed membership captain following the departure of James Ward-Prowse and beneath Martin, the defender has skilled a brand new lease of life.

“Leaving when I did that season was tough and it was initially out of my hands,” he tells Sky Sports activities. “It was a decision that was made for me which was tough to take.

“As soon as I received my head round it, I used to be very grateful to Bournemouth. I needed to go there and do the most effective for his or her membership.

“When I came back here for the Championship season, there were a lot of changes and the new manager was keen for me to stay. I got on with him and enjoyed the training the first couple of weeks.

“It was then such a simple resolution to make to remain and be a part of this. It is a actually optimistic place to be proper now. The supervisor has made it fairly clear that he would not need to change his methods and the lads are absolutely on board with that.”

‘We can replicate 2012/13 success’

Intense coaching periods with a relaxed atmosphere off it’s Stephens’ description of the Martin regime. Summer season introduced a change of surroundings because the first-team squad headed to Spain supplemented by 9 new signings.

Two gamers who wanted no integration time are Flynn Downes and Taylor Harwood-Bellis, who’ve now joined the membership completely after profitable mortgage spells.

The problem now could be to attempt to emulate the success from the final time Saints have been promoted in 2012/13, when a 14th-placed end was achieved.

“I think there’s a lot of similarities to that team,” provides Stephens, who was a part of the first-team squad that season with out making an look.

“There’s the same togetherness and team spirit in the dressing room. You could see back then that the boys were very close. They were talented but the team spirit gets you over the line. We had tough times last year but we stuck together and that’s what helped us achieve.

“We’ve to do the identical once more, and if we do I do not see ending seventeenth as being the peak of our ambition. The three golf equipment who final got here up went straight again down, so staying within the league would achieve success however we’re aiming for extra.

“There’s room for optimism to finish as high as we can.”

The returning hero: Adam Lallana

With simplicity comes readability. For Adam Lallana, being again at Southampton brings a familiarity alongside the expertise gained from 585 appearances for membership and nation.

“It’s the same but different,” is how he describes his first few weeks since returning on a free switch, 10 years on from leaving to affix Liverpool for £25m.

There’s nothing sentimental, nonetheless, in regards to the 36-year-old heading again to his outdated membership. Lallana – a significant cog within the membership’s back-to-back promotions in 2011 and 2012 – has immediately warmed to Martin’s human aspect, however is aware of he has a job to play past guiding members of his squad, each younger and older.

The unforgiving nature of the 9 months forward means Martin has already had conversations with the person solely two years his junior about how finest to utilise him this time period together with his coaching programme tailor-made accordingly.

“There’s a lot of similarities to what I was used to during the last couple of years at Brighton,” says Lallana, who described his return as a simple resolution.

“There’s a lot of young lads here so I’m pretty sure I’ve brought the average age up by quite a lot! I’m really excited to work with them to help them reach their potential. Pressing [from the front] is something I’ve been used to my whole career having worked especially with Jurgen [Klopp at Liverpool].

“It is barely totally different if you become old, and by chance sufficient I am lucky now to have a supervisor who utilises me in another way which I really feel is an enormous cause why I am nonetheless taking part in. I am unable to wait to get going.”

Should Lallana play when Southampton visit Newcastle on Saturday, it would be his first Premier League game for the club in 10 years and 98 days, the fifth-longest gap between appearances for the same side in the competition’s history.

His last goal for the Saints came against this weekend’s opponents during a 4-0 win in March 2014.

“A lot has changed here as it’s been a good few years,” he displays.

“There’s still a few staff I know creeping around in the background who were here 10-11 years ago but it is different. The club has evolved and moved forward.

“I am simply completely happy that we’re again within the Premier League. Hopefully I will help in any method to hold the membership shifting ahead to retain our Premier League standing. That is the large problem for us this yr and what we need to obtain.

“We might lose the first two, three games but so what if we do? There are 38 games and last season has taught this group not to panic. Trust the process. We’re going to lose games this year, just like Manchester City will.

“What’s essential is that when there are these moments, we will not level fingers. We’ll win and we’ll lose collectively.”