Southampton got relegated to the Championship after 11 years

After eleven years in the English Premier League, Southampton got relegated back to the Championship after losing 2-0 to Fulham this last weekend. It was a long time coming, and now the Saints are ending what has arguably been their most successful stint in the top flight of English football.

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Even though they got relegated with only two matches left to go, it is difficult to say that this final outcome wasn’t deserved. Southampton have been the worst-performing team in the Premier League this season, with all three of the managers that have coached this season (Ralph Hasenhüttl, Nathan Jones, and Rubén Sellés) not being able to win more than two games each, which is saying a lot.

The Saints only managed to score 31 goals in 36 league matches, with only Wolverhampton scoring less (30 goals), and the fourth side that conceded the most goals (66), only behind the likes of Leicester City (67), Bournemouth (69), and Leeds United (71), all of which were or are fighting for relegation as well.

Despite having some players that have impressed this season such as James Ward-Prowse or Romeo Lavia, both in midfield, the reality is that the Saints showed very little fight to stay up, and there is an argument to be made that this final outcome has been the result of years and years of not making the right decisions or the club simply not having enough resources to stay up anymore.

After all, Southampton have been a selling club for most of their stint in the Premier League since they got promoted from the Championship back in the 2012/13 season. Players such as Nathaniel Clyne, Adam Lallana, Ricky Lambert, Sadio Mane, and Virgil Van Dijk were all sold to Liverpool, others such as Morgan Schneiderlin and Luke Shaw did likewise to Manchester United, Victor Wanyama to Tottenham, and other players that kick-started their Premier League careers in St. Mary’s.

This is important to highlight because the hit rate that clubs of this ilk need is not sustainable. At some point, something has to give, and no team can always find perfect replacements. Leicester City, a club with more success since they got back to the Premier League back in 2014, have been crowned league champions in the 2015/16 season, were viewed as a model club when they beat Chelsea in the 2021 FA Cup final and are also close to getting relegated after a couple of bad signings and failing to replace their star performers.

Ultimately, it has been a very good run for the Saints. They were one of the most appreciated sides in the Premier League during their recent stay, often being capable of taking points away from strong contenders for the title, and often pulling off major upsets while producing or developing some of the most interesting talents that the league has had to offer.

Now is the time for them to regroup and come back stronger for the Championship next season after such a traumatic experience.

Southampton have been relegated from the Premier League after an 11-year spell in the top flight. ⚪️🔴 #SaintsFC pic.twitter.com/QBhPzNBpSO

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 13, 2023