By Nick Mabey.
It’s finally over. Saints’ season, that started in bright sunshine with an encouraging performance and close defeat, ended the same way. The away loss to Newcastle in August last year, with a blunt attack unable to score against a side reduced to 10-men early on, offered a warning of what was to come. The final game of the season, at home to Arsenal, offered something by way of hope for this coming August when the Championship once again welcomes us.
Let’s not beat around the bush; it’s been a dire 38-game campaign. The fact I can remember our only wins, Everton at home and Ipswich away, says everything. Luckily this was supplemented by six draws, meaning we just about avoided the ignominy of the lowest ever Premier League points tally.
The manager merry-go-round mirrored our previous relegation season two years ago – incumbent manager pushed out in the Autumn, pointless recruitment of someone many felt was unfit for the job, and finally temporary elevation of backroom staff after our fate was sealed. It’s not a great advert for Sport Republic’s stewardship of the club. As with two years ago, I would have personally stuck with the incumbent (Hassenhutl then Martin this time) but I get no pleasure in what some would regard as 20:20 hindsight.
At least this time we’ve moved very quickly to find our next manager, who was spotted in the crowd for the final game of the season (sitting in front of the now-irrelevant Rishi Sunak). he appointment of Will Still is another interesting punt by our owners, at least this time we didn’t wait until mid-July and his instalment before the season ended – just – means he gets a chance to assess over the break and lead a full pre-season. I’m personally excited about the prospect, even if his route to the job – starting out as a video analyst – is unconventional. If he has as much success as Jose Mourinho, who famously began life in football management as an interpreter, then I’ll be delighted. What fascinated me was his age, 32, meaning he’ll be younger than some of the players he manages (though not the youngest in the Premier League – that honour belongs to Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler). And of course his name. Will Still is going to be a journalist’s dream. The big question is whether he Will Still be there in a year’s time?
An interesting summer awaits. We only have a few of players out of contract and some coming back from season-long loans. We have a sprinkling of bright young prospects and the perennial ‘dead wood’ to shift. As always it will be interesting to see how the next two months unfolds. One thing is for certain, the rumour and click bait will outweigh reality by a ridiculous factor and I’ll be executing my normal strategy of trying to ignore it all and occasionally failing.
Last word for this season goes to the fans. I’ve been critical in the past of the moaners, the armchair pundits and the keyboard warriors. Two seasons ago the atmosphere felt poisonous as we succumbed to relegation. This time round it’s been very different. The fans in the stadium, and apparently even more so at away games, have been magnificent. They’ve continued to turn up in great numbers, sang heartily and showed great spirit and humour. Was it because of the new safe standing Northam end? Or because we had a magical day at Wembley to fall back on? Or perhaps because we were looking doomed so early? Whatever the reasons I was proud to be in that number.
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