Southampton Premier League Fixtures, Squad, Guide
After last season’s brush with relegation, Saints have entrusted Mark Hughes with the task of getting the team back on track. On the summer recruitment front, they have signed midfielders Mohamed Elyounoussi (Basle, £15m) and Stuart Armstrong (Celtic, £7m), keeper Angus Gunn (Man City, £13.5m), and defender Jannik Vestergaard (Monchengladbach, £18m).
Annual wage bill – £112m (2017)
Annual income – £182m (2017)
Stadium St Mary’s (32,689)
Odds 300/1 to win Premier League
FAN’S VIEW
Nick Ilingsworth, The Ugly Inside, theuglyinside.net
LAST SEASON WAS…
An absolute disaster, the wrong manager was appointed and left in the job for longer than he should have been. We just about got away with it in the end!
OUR BIGGEST HERO
Alex McCarthy. With the team in disarray he came in and put in a series of solid displays especially at the tail end of the season. He played only 18 Premier League matches but was still player of the year.
OUR BIGGEST VILLAIN
Although there could be several candidates, there was a very clear winner: Virgil Van Dijk. He showed little regard for Saints after being tapped up by Liverpool. The whole episode stank to high heaven. He was a disgrace to his profession and the reason why so many fans are becoming disillusioned with the Premier League.
YOUNGSTER TO WATCH
Josh Sims is the most likely to break through but has been derailed by injury. This could be a pivotal season.
MOST UNDERRATED PLAYER
Shane Long’s lack of goals mean that he is often not appreciated by some of our supporters, but his workrate is phenomenal.
Shane Long was an underrated hero last season (getty Images)
HOPES & FEARS FOR 2018-19
The hope is that last season was just a blip and that this season will prove that we are now one of the more established clubs in the Premier League. The fear is that we will struggle once again through a failure to sign key players in key positions.
Southampton Premier League Squad
Name Age/d.o.b. Signed/prev club
GOALKEEPERS
Fraser Forster (30) 17.03.88 2014 / Celtic (Sco)
Angus Gunn (22) 22.01.96 2018 / Manchester City
Alex McCarthy (28) 03.12.89 2016 / Crystal Palace
DEFENDERS
Jan Bednarek (Pol) (22) 12.04.96 2017 / Lech Poznan (Pol)
Ryan Bertrand (28) 05.08.89 2015 / Chelsea
Wesley Hoedt (Hol) (24) 06.03.94 2017 / Lazio (Ita)
Sam McQueen (23) 06.02.95 2003 / youth
Cedric Soares (Por) (26) 31.08.91 2013 / Sporting (Por)
Jack Stephens (24) 27.01.94 2011 / Plymouth Argyle
Matt Targett (22) 18.09.95 2003 / youth
Maya Yoshida (Jap) (29) 24.08.88 2012 / VVV-Venlo (Hol)
Jannik Vestergaard (Ger) (25) 03.08.92 2018 / Bor M’gladbach (Ger)
MIDFIELDERS
Stuart Armstrong (Sco) (26) 30.03.92 2018 / Celtic (Sco)
Sofiane Boufal (Mor) (24) 17.09.93 2016 / Lille (Fra)
Jordy Clasie (Hol) (27) 27.06.91 2015 / Feyenoord (Hol)
Steven Davis (NI) (33) 01.01.85 2012 / Rangers (Sco)
Mohamed Elyounoussi (Nor) (23) 04.08.94 2018 / Basle (Swi)
Jake Hesketh (22) 27.03.96 2006 / youth
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Den) (22) 05.08.95 2016 / Bayern M (Ger)
Mario Lemina (Gab) (24) 01.09.93 2017 / Juventus (Ita)
Nathan Redmond (24) 06.03.94 2016 / Norwich City
Harrison Reed (23) 27.01.95 2013 / youth
Oriol Romeu (Spa) (26) 24.09.91 2015 / Chelsea
Josh Sims (21) 28.03.97 2011 / youth
James Ward-Prowse (23) 01.11.94 2003 / youth
FORWARDS
Charlie Austin (29) 05.07.89 2016 / QPR
Manolo Gabbiadini (Ita) (26) 26.11.91 2017 / Napoli (Ita)
Sam Gallagher (22) 15.09.95 2012 / youth
Shane Long (RoI) (31) 22.01.87 2014 / Hull City
Michael Obafemi (RoI) (18) 06.07.00 2016 / youth
MANAGER
Mark Hughes (Wal) (54) 01.11.63 2018 / Stoke City
Mark Hughes saved Southampton from relegation last year (Getty Images)
Southampton Premier League Fixtures
Aug 12 Burnley (h) – drew 0-0
Aug 18 Everton (a) – lost 2-1
Aug 25 Leicester (h) – lost 2-1
Sep 1 Crystal Palace (a) – won 2-0
Sep 17 Brighton (h) – drew 2-2
Sep 22 Liverpool (a) – lost 3-0
Sep 29 Wolves (a) – lost 2-0
Oct 6 Chelsea (h) – lost 3-0
Oct 20 Bournemouth (a) – drew 0-0
Oct 27 Newcastle (h) – drew 0-0
Nov 3 Man City (a) – lost 6-1
Nov 10 Watford (h)
Nov 24 Fulham (a)
Dec 1 Man Utd (h)
Dec 5 Tottenham (a)
Dec 8 Cardiff (a)
Dec 15 Arsenal (h)
Dec 22 Huddersfield (a)
Dec 26 West Ham (h)
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Dec 29 Man City (h)
Jan 1 Chelsea (a)
Jan 12 Leicester (a)
Jan 19 Everton (h)
Jan 30 Crystal Palace (h)
Feb 2 Burnley (a)
Feb 9 Cardiff (h)
Feb 23 Arsenal (a)
Feb 27 Fulham (h)
Mar 3 Man Utd (a)
Mar 9 Tottenham (h)
Mar 16 Watford (a)
Mar 30 Brighton (a)
Apr 6 Liverpool (h)
Apr 13 Wolves (h)
Apr 20 Newcastle (a)
Apr 27 Bournemouth (h)
May 4 West Ham (a)
May 12 Huddersfield (h)
