Three from Eight

Before the opening day I picked out eight potential relegation candidates, three of which Southampton must finish above to survive the drop. With the opening skirmishes of the Premier League season complete, what have we learned about the other relegation candidates?

Norwich

The Squad post-window– The summer saw an unwelcome resignation from manager Paul Lambert followed by a transfer request from star striker Grant Holt – hardly an ideal recipe for continuing the great progress made at the club in the past three seasons. However, new manager Chris Hughton has recruited well, strengthening the defence with Bassong and Turner and snaring Robert Snodgrass from Leeds. He adds these to a squad made up mainly of lower division players come good. Surman, Pilkington, Hoolahan, Howson, Jackson, Morison, Barnett and Bennett – these were progressive signings made by Lambert who all played their part in the club’s upsurge from League One strugglers to Premier League surprise package.  But now that the man responsible for the resurrection has departed, all the symptoms point to a textbook case of – say it quietly – second-season syndrome.

Whether this comes to pass or not remains to be seen – Hughton performed commendably in the Premier League with Newcastle – but the side’s winless start to the season has done little to allay fears that Norwich City might come down with a bump this year. The momentum from successive promotions saw them thrive in their first season back in the top division, but now –with the ‘feel-good factor’ subsiding– the real work starts for Norwich City.

 The manager – Chris Hughton has undertaken one of the most difficult jobs in the division at Carrow Road. It seems strange to say after three of their best seasons in decades, but Norwich’s is a squad that, without the right guidance, could very well see last year’s wide-eyed enthusiasm crushed. Hughton is undoubtedly a talented coach, but is relatively inexperienced as a manager at the top level and will do well to stop Norwich from slipping into trouble.

The prospects – Five-goal defeats to Fulham and Liverpool have set alarm bells ringing, but they performed well when snatching a point from Tottenham in September. Much depends on whether Grant Holt can reproduce last season’s form having successfully manipulated himself new contract from the club, as his only competitors, Simeon Jackson and Steve Morison, may not provide sufficient firepower themselves. A real worry for Hughton will be that several of the Liverpool’s goals this weekend were entirely self-inflicted– Norwich must rid themselves of this soft touch if they are to steer clear of trouble.

Reading

The squad post-window - Reading made several low-profile yet astute signings from the division they won last season before adding more high-profile names in the form of Fulham’s Pavel Pogrebnyak, highly sought-after following his short-term stint at Craven Cottage last season, and Newcastle’s Danny Guthrie. The Russian Pogrebnyak scored a fine header at Stanford Bridge in his second game, but hasn’t yet added to his tally. Mariappa’s arrival provides competition for Pearce and Gorkss at the back and supplies much needed Premier League experience, although his last appearance in this league came in 2007. One man with plenty of experience is Ian Harte, but his startling lack of pace has already been exploited this season and his place lost to the returning Nicky Shorey.

Gunter and McCleary have as yet failed to nail down starting places following their moves from Nottingham Forest, while similarly Danny Guthrie has lost out in midfield to those players who earned Reading their promotion and recently tweeted that he was working hard to adapt his style of play to suit his manager’s philosophy.

The manager - A mixed bag on the transfer front so far, then, but McDermott’s preference for the slow evolution of his squad is in keeping with his calculated management style. The former scout is unafraid to make tough decisions, having quickly dropped last season’s star performer Adam Federici after two errors in as many games, replacing him with young Englishman Alex McCarthy.

The prospects -After five games Reading find themselves without a win, but they can count themselves unlucky not to have recorded their first against Newcastle this weekend after Demba Ba equalised with his hand and the visitors somehow survived a late onslaught. This was a welcome improvement from the disappointing defeats to West Brom and Tottenham that preceded it, but Reading fans know their side need to start putting points on the board if the pre-season relegation favourites are to prove the bookies wrong. Should goals from Pogrebnyak fail to materialise it is difficult to see where Reading’s threat will come from.

Wigan

The squad post-window – Make no mistake - Wigan lost three key players this summer. Victor Moses, Hugo Rodallega and Mo Diame all joined other Premier League clubs, and it will be another severe test of Roberto Martinez’s abilities to conjure up the required wins to beat the drop come May. The losses of Moses and Rodallega, Martinez will hope, have been dampened by the arrival of Aruna Kone and Ryo Miyaichi, while Ivan Ramis comes in at centre back. The combative Diame will be a real asset for new club West Ham, but Wigan will have to rely on the skills of McCarthy, Watson and McArthur to plug the gap. They possess a fine goalkeeper in Al Habsi and showed wonderful resolve in last season’s winning run - however I fear that this season’s squad is a weaker version of the one which barely survived last year, and to repeat the trick is a tough ask for Wigan Athletic.

The manager – Martinez has performed miracles on a budget again and again for chairman Dave Whelan when written off by pundits, so it would be foolish to do so again this year. However, it is certainly one of his toughest tasks yet to survive in a Premier League finally rid of three sides who could be relied upon to struggle year on year – Blackburn, Wolves and Bolton. He is undoubtedly as experienced in relegation battles as any other manager in the league, and this will stand his side in good stead.

The prospects – Wigan recorded their only win so far at St Mary’s in what can only be described as a ‘smash and grab’ display, and have otherwise struggled in a challenging run of fixtures that included Manchester United and Chelsea. They would have hoped to pick up more points, however, from home ties with Fulham and Stoke and have yet to threaten a clean sheet. They face West Ham and Swansea in their next three matches – the kind of games Wigan need to perform in if they are put space between themselves and the bottom three.

Aston Villa

The squad post-window – The Villa squad is a strange mix resulting from the club’s being in a state of transition. N’Zogbia, Delph, Hutton, Given and Bent were big-money signings from a bygone era at Villa Park, when the owner Randy Lerner was more willing to throw his money around. In Sunday’s 1-1 draw with rivals West Brom, though, Delph was the only of these to start the game as Paul Lambert is tasked with producing results using young, hungry replacements. The well-established names that failed under Alex McLeish last season have found that their starting places are by no means guaranteed; Guzan has displaced Given in goal – a surprise to many onlookers – while Benteke and Agbonlahor left no room for England international Bent. Lambert will rely on the ability of his collection of promising youngsters, such as Ciaran Clark, Barry Bannan and Marcus Albrighton, to steer his side away from trouble.

The manager – This is a brand new managerial experience for Paul Lambert who has been tasked with inspiring a disillusioned fan-base with a largely unproven squad. At Norwich, he took up the reins with the club seemingly at its lowest ebb, slowly building up a head of steam that endeared him to supporters. The situation at Aston Villa is quite different, though, as Lambert will have to balance the blooding of new talent with the appeasement of his star names. His arrival at his previous jobs signalled an end to the bad times, but Lambert’s task at Villa will test his adaptability if nothing else, as Aston Villa have conceivably a little further to fall just yet.

The prospects – Villa’s inconsistent start has seen solid performances at Newcastle and at home to Swansea, but also a second-half capitulation at Southampton and a toothless display at West Ham. Highly paid stars may have misfired last season, but Lambert does not suffer fools gladly and I just can’t see them failing to get themselves together over the course of the season. If Bent stays fit and in favour Aston Villa will find goals aplenty, something that not all their relegation rivals will be able to match.

QPR

The squad post-window – Where to start? Robert Green replaced Paddy Kenny, but he now finds himself playing second fiddle to Julio Cesar – an eyebrow-raising acquisition from Inter Milan. Other high-profile signings were Manchester United’s Park Ji Sung and Fabio, Stephane Mbia, Junior Hoilett, and Jose Bosingwa. This continued investment in the playing squad suggests the board have more faith in Mark Hughes than they ever did in Neil Warnock, who could only dream of a strike-force including the likes of Zamora and Cisse. In other news, perennial troublemaker Joseph (don’t call him Joey) Barton has relocated to France.

The manager – Mark Hughes has undoubted pedigree and has never failed to make a positive impression in a Premier League job. In fact, for this reason I was loathe to assign them the tag ‘relegation candidates’ back in August, but their nightmare start – capped off by a terrible 2-1 home defeat to West Ham on Monday – forces me to reconsider. Hughes finds himself in the familiar position at the helm of a club whose hierarchy have a notoriously itchy trigger finger. He didn’t let the pressure get the better of him at Manchester City, but ultimately failed to deliver what was asked of him and was sacked. Now, with a mini injury crisis in defence and a squad low on confidence, Hughes finds the pressure is back on to first save his job, and then QPR’s season.

The prospects – Something tells me that QPR will be this season’s relegation red herring. The firepower served up by Zamora, Cisse, Johnson and Hoilett, should be enough to get them out of trouble, and once the injuries subside and signings gel Rangers should be looking at a low mid-table finish. They will want to rediscover the winning touch sooner rather than later, however, as no squad with Taarabt, Wright-Phillips and Dyer in midfield is will be a model of consistency.

West Ham

The squad post-window – The Hammers added Mo Diame, James Collins, Matt Jarvis and most notably Andy Carroll in the transfer window, strengthening their side in all areas. An Allardyce favourite Jussi Jaaskelainen has replaced Rob Green in goal and has experience on his side, but it should be remembered that he was considered second best to Adam Bogdan at Bolton last year, one of the league’s least consistent keepers and has already conceded soft goals. The significance of Carroll and Jarvis’ signings may be huge as the season wears on as they are always likely to cause opposition defences all kinds of problems but Carroll may still return to Liverpool in January, in which case West Ham must rely more heavily on Carlton Cole – hardly music to the ears of the Upton Park faithful.

The manager – Allardyce’s style of play, though much maligned last season, has always secured results at this level and, in any case, the criticism hardly seems to worry him. He even branded his own supporters ‘deluded’ at times last year as they told him that their side traditionally ‘play on the floor.’ Andy Carroll is, in many ways, the perfect Allardyce signing; unfussy and unapologetically direct – Carroll will be a nightmare to defend against and will certainly suit the Allardyce’s style better than Rodgers’ at Anfield.

The prospects – West Ham have made a very fine start indeed, taking advantage of a favourable fixture-list to pick up maximum points against strugglers Villa and QPR. More significant, however, is their demolition of Fulham in Carroll’s one and only appearance before injury. The signs were that West Ham are finally comfortable playing the ‘Big Sam Way’, and if that kind of form continues they needn’t worry about relegation. Should Carroll be taken back to Anfield and West Ham start to struggle the fans might resume hostilities with their manager – though any such troubles seem an awfully long way off as they sit 7^th in the table.

Swansea

The squad post-window – In some ways, the Swans are in a similar position to Norwich City – a promoted club who have paid for their first-season success with the loss of their celebrated manager to a bigger side. Brendan Rodgers’ continental approach, however, looks set to continue under new boss Michael Laudrup with the signings of the talented Michu, de Guzman and Hernandez. The latter is a like-for-like replacement for Scott Sinclair, lost to Manchester City in the close season. Other significant absentees are Joe Allen, who followed his manager to Liverpool and fullback Neil Taylor, who broke an ankle in the opening weeks. However, they have retained the services of Michel Vorm – one of the League’s top performers last year, and overall Swansea look in better shape than Norwich to replicate the success of 2011-12.

The manager – In Michael Laudrup Swansea might just have found the right manager at the right time. Having delivered relative success with some of the smaller clubs in La Liga in recent years, and whilst employing the kind of tactics Swansea fans have grown to love under Rodgers, Laudrup seems like the perfect fit for the forward-thinking club looking to establish itself in the Premier League. This may be his first job in English football but the Dane has more than enough experience to suggest he is up to the task.

 The prospects – Swansea made a flying start with five and three goal wins in their opening two games, but have since failed to recreate that form in defeats to Villa, Everton and Stoke in which they failed to score a single goal. Michu’s start has been encouraging, but his role is not that of an out-and-out striker and the Swans will need to find alternative goal sources or they may struggle. Danny Graham will be required to weigh in with goals, while Ashley Williams must rediscover his form from last year to keep the defence steady at the other end. The fixture list looks steadily less charitable in the coming weeks, and they will hope to pick up maximum points from two home games to Reading and Wigan before then.

West Brom

The squad post-window – West Brom and new manager Steve Clarke went about their transfer business quietly this summer, picking up Ben Foster in a permanent deal and Lukaku on loan from Chelsea while suffering no notable departures. In truth, the core of Albion’s squad is not vastly different to the one that Roy Hodgson successfully steered to safety in 2011 and earned the England job with in 2012.Long, Lukaku, Odemwingie, Gera and new signing Rosenberg all compete for striking positions, while El Ghanassy and Yacob join the increasingly influential James Morison in midfield. Jonas Olsson and Gareth McAuley have forged a fine partnership at the back, and it is this stable foundation upon which West Brom manufactured a top half finish in 2012.

The manager – Steve Clarke’s name has been linked to Premier League vacancies for years, but the highly rated coach’s appointment at the Hawthorns is his first managerial post. Often the step-up from assistant to manager is a difficult one – just ask Terry Connor – but Clarke has a fine reputation in football and has more than done his time in the number two role. At a club like West Brom, though, the first target will always be to pass the 40-point barrier, and should Albion begin to struggle Clarke’s reputation will quickly count for less and less.

The prospects – Albion have started the season in impressive style, picking up maximum points from home games to Liverpool, Everton and Reading without conceding. Should that kind of form continue the Baggies will have little to worry about, and at present it appears that Clarke has taken to management like a duck to water. It would be unwise to completely rule out a reversal in fortunes given that Roberto Di Matteo struggled with a similar squad two seasons ago, but with the Baggies already accumulating eleven points all the signs point to another mid-table finish.

Saints Profit from Lallana’s Slow Burn

Adam Lallana’s rise from promising League One youngster to potential England international at Southampton is the result of a very happy set of circumstances. The south coast club first saw Theo Walcott, then Gareth Bale, and most recently Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain cherry picked by England’s elite while they languished in the second tier, unable to offer their stars the chances to perform on the big stage. So noticeable were the talents of those three, and at such young ages, that Southampton could never have hoped to hold onto them whilst not in the super rich Premier League. The club cashed in on its prize assets.

The happy circumstances surrounding Adam Lallana, then, have been that his quality was not clear enough early enough to tempt any sizeable offers from his admirers, and by the time it was, Southampton’s upward momentum had seen them arrive in the Premier League themselves.  

Three seasons ago, with Southampton readying themselves for a season in League One, few football fans would have been aware of the young player who had provided brief glimpses of brilliance in what had otherwise been a torrid few seasons for the club. Lallana’s time spent in an oft-beleaguered and inevitably relegated side appears to have served him well; his industry and determination were plain for all to see as his side battled away at the Etihad Arena in this season’s first game, where he also took up the captain’s armband. But after the Swiss takeover of the club in 2009 Lallana was expected to leave the role of gallant loser behind him and set about fulfilling his undoubted potential.

Then-manager Alan Pardew recruited Rickie Lambert to spearhead the side’s attack in League One and it was he who scored many of the Saints’ goals that season, but non-casual observers will have noticed that the stand-out performances at St Mary’s could so often be found at left midfield. For two years Lallana’s trickery troubled the right-backs of League One as he slowly added more and more to his game; increasingly there was an ‘end product’ - the holy grail of the promising wide player – to match his dizzying skill.

Pardew’s one and only season in charge of the Saints ended in disappointment, his side narrowly failing to overturn their ten-point administration penalty and reach the playoffs. His replacement Nigel Adkins was clearly well aware of the potency Lallana added to his side; he spoke at length of the importance of keeping his winger free from serious injury and was quick to withdraw him when his troublesome groin problems resurfaced. This strategy paid dividends when Lallana was able to play a key role in their run of fourteen wins out of the final seventeen matches, taking a place in the team of the year in the process. But perhaps ‘winger’ is not the right term for of player of his kind; the right-footed Lallana often drifts infield to join in with his side’s intricate build-up play but is equally adept using his wrong foot to float crosses to his forwards – a combination that continued to unsettle defenders on his return to the Championship.

The threat posed on the flanks by Lallana and Oxlade-Chamberlain, as well as the not-inconsiderable contribution of Lambert, saw the Saints surge to promotion at the second time of asking, and perhaps the headline grabbing of his two teammates provided a smokescreen behind which Lallana could quietly go about his business. That summer saw the departure of Oxlade-Chamberlain to Arsenal for a reported £15 million, but in truth the youngster had sat out the majority of Southampton’s devastating end of season run through injury, and the Saints had developed a reliable winning formula in the shape of Lambert and Lallana’s neat interplay.

That formula continued to serve Adkins’ side well a division higher as Southampton proceeded to notch up a record 21 straight home league wins, and Lallana’s eye-catching performances swayed many a game in their favour. His trickery and guile were once again overshadowed by the goalscoring exploits of a certain colleague, but fittingly it was Lallana who a sealed second successive promotion with the fourth goal in the decisive final day victory over Coventry. That was his thirteenth strike of a campaign that saw his performance improve markedly with the platform of Adkins’ fitness regime.

The start of the 2012/13 season has seen Lallana finally begin to receive concrete personal accolades to add to the endless plaudits. Adkins appointed him the team’s captain prior to their Premier League return, and while the Saints have lost their opening three fixtures there are reasons to be optimistic as they pushed first champions Manchester City, and then neighbours United, all the way in thrilling encounters. Next came his first international call-up, albeit in the wake of a string of injuries to England regulars, further illustrating his growing reputation in the game.

Adam Lallana’s time at Southampton FC has, until this point at least, been to their mutual benefit. A delicate balance has been struck in the past three seasons; neither has Lallana outgrown the club or the club Lallana. Unlike some of the academy prospects that were whisked away before they had a chance to make any real footballing contribution to the club, his steady growth has perfectly matched that of his team. When Southampton were the sleeping giants of League One, his potential was being slowly recognised. When the club continued their march up the football league he became hailed as one of the brightest talents outside of the top flight. And now, with the Saints finally back in the big time, their new captain finds himself in the thinking of Roy Hodgson and England.

It has been more than then years since the great Matt Le Tissier hung up his boots, and this is easily the closest we have come to unearthing a new Mr Southampton.

Southampton Lack the Steel to go with their Cutting Edge

Southampton treated the Sky audience to another entertaining encounter at St Mary’s this afternoon, but once again played the fall-guys in what was ultimately Robin Van Persie’s day.

With just three minutes remaining of the ninety Southampton were within touching distance of a wonderful victory to get their campaign up and running, but a quickfire double from Van Persie robbed them of even their first Premier League point. The Saints failed to clear a late corner, Valencia sent a precise cross to an unmarked Ferdinand and when his header rebounded off the post Van Persie was on hand to sweep home. Perhaps a more experienced Premiership outfit would have done more to shut up shop after conceding late, but Manchester United needed little invitation from Southampton to come forward in search of a winner. In stoppage time, Van Persie beat Fonte to a Nani corner and glanced a perfect header past a helpless Davis.

It had taken the Saints a good ten minutes to get hold of the ball at the start of the match, but when they did they put it to very good use. Schneiderlin strode forward and supplied Puncheon on the right, and his cross picked out Lambert at the back post who rose above Rafael to head past Lindegaard. St Mary’s was in raptures, dreaming of another famous victory over United that would be their first for nine years.

Those dreamers were snapped back to reality, though, when Van Persie capitalized on Clyne’s slip to ruthlessly volley past Davis for the first of his three goals on 23 minutes. If this was the signal for Southampton to let the white tide wash over them, the home side hadn’t read the script. The Saints competed with unabashed resolve; Davis, Schneiderlin and 17 year-old James Ward-Prowse effectively stifling the United midfield with neat interplay and telling interceptions. Save for a headed effort from Evra, comfortably repelled by Davis, Southampton had little more to worry about in the opening period while at the other end a Lambert strike flew wide.

In the first half Southampton's focus had been to contain the visitors, but they began the second by creating openings of their own. Lallana and Puncheon provided a constant threat from the wide areas while Lambert was barely marshalled by Vidic and Ferdinand. Ten minutes into the second half, Lambert peeled away to the left-hand side and lofted a perfectly weighted cross into the path of Schneiderlin, who headed into the bottom corner. Once again the Saints were in front, and this time they looked intent on extending their advantage; Lambert narrowly failed to find Ward-Prowse after breaking the offside trap, and Puncheon’s drive was well kept out by Lindegaard at his near post.

While the Southampton attack was holding up its end of the bargain, though, the defence never looked likely to hold out until the final whistle. Too many passes were going needlessly astray in dangerous areas, and while the first of these from Davis was not punished, the second drew a rash challenge from Hooiveld who felled Van Persie in the area. Luckily for the goalkeeper the Dutchman’s penalty was weak, and St Mary’s celebrated Davis’ save as if it were another goal.

But undoubtedly the pressure was growing, not helped by Adkins’ withdrawal of Lambert and Lallana, and with minutes left came United’s double sucker-punch.

Wigan’s late goal last week sparked a mass exodus from St Mary’s, but this one saw the crowd rise to its feet to show their appreciation for what was an excellent attacking display that more than worried Manchester United for long periods. Their side sits at the bottom of the league, but were handed an unenviable fixture list to start their season and should not worry unduly about their lack of points (or point) at this stage.

What is of concern, though, is that the Saints look far too likely to capitulate when put under extended periods of pressure from the opposition. The lack of any established Premier League quality in defence may or may not be the undoing of Adkins’ side this season, only time will tell, but what is plain to see is that as of yet they have been far too easy to score against. The addition of Ramirez and Mayuka supply Adkins with a wealth of striking options, but it looks more and more likely that the Saints' best hope of accumulating the required wins this season will be to outscore the opposition, rather than to shut them out.

Saints' First Real Premier Test Sets Alarm Bells Ringing

Wigan Athletic’s trip to St Mary’s provided a sobering indication of what is to come if Southampton lack of transfer activity stretches past Friday’s deadline. Adkins’ side started brightly enough, but a lack of quality in the final third halted their forward momentum and ultimately allowed the visitors to leave with all three points despite rarely threatening the Southampton goal.

Franco Di Santo latched onto Maloney’s through ball early in the second period and drilled his shot into the roof of the net to put the visitors in front, leaving Fonte trailing in his wake. Fonte was later robbed of the ball on the half-way line, with his side having committed men forward, and Kone easily beat Davis when one-on-one. These defensive lapses, though, are not the ominous element of Saturday’s display to which I refer. Rather, it was the coming to fruition of niggling pre-season doubts over the course of the ninety minutes that fuelled the air of worry that had enveloped St Mary’s by the final whistle.

The new season has seen Adkins’ side move from a traditional 4-4-2 formation to the increasingly popular 4-3-3, using two wide forwards to support Rickie Lambert as the central striker. What was made clear on Saturday, however, was that the Saints lack the personnel to effectively undertake their new game-plan. Jay Rodriguez, Saints’ record £6 million signing from Burnley, was forced onto the left hand side rather than his favoured central striking role and struggled to provide either any threat from the touchline or when running in behind Lambert. And to Lambert’s right: Guly do Prado. The Brazilian endured a difficult afternoon in an equally unfamiliar role and repeatedly failed to stretch the Wigan defence.

Early on, Lallana, who looked perfectly comfortable in his central midfield role, had stretched Al Habsi into a fine save when he let fly from 20 yards. But in truth, Southampton failed to create clear-cut chances as the half drew on, and Di Santo’s sucker-punch was indicative of the visitor’s growing comfort as the game progressed. After the opener, Adkins persevered with his formation for a further fifteen minutes or so, before reverting to 4-4-2 in an attempt to present new dangers to Wigan’s backline. The tactical switch, though, meant Wigan saw more and more of the ball, and Southampton’s desperation grew. Hooiveld was deployed as an extra forward and his header that landed on Al Habsi’s crossbar was the Saints’ final chance to draw level before Fonte’s mistake handed Wigan a second.

Within seconds of Kone’s clincher the stadium was half-empty, the Saints fans resigning themselves to a losing return of Premier League football at St Mary’s. Elements of Southampton’s play had been encouraging; the ball retention in the first period denied Wigan any meaningful attacks, and the midfield trio of Schneiderlin, Davis and Lallana look well equipped to play at this level. Now, the supporters can only wait and hope that Cortese and Adkins make significant progress in their transfer dealings before time runs out to pep up their uncharacteristically benign attack.

Southampton Reintroduce Themselves to the Premier League in Thrilling Loss to City

Newly promoted Southampton travelled to the Etihad Stadium expecting very little from their opening day clash with the Premier League champions. While they ultimately left with no points to show for their efforts, the Saints will take great heart from a second half that saw them strike two goals past Joe Hart in ten exhilarating minutes.

The first of the day’s surprises came from the Southampton team sheet, with Nigel Adkins starting Guly do Prado ahead of talisman Rickie Lambert, and handing a league debut to 17 year-old James Ward-Prowse who accompanied Schneiderlin and Lallana in a central midfield three. Adkins later justified his decision to start the enigmatic Brazilian as a strategy to save his Lambert’s energy for the vital latter stages where he might find more space, and that he did, but not before Southampton’s starting eleven were pinned back in their own half for the majority of the first period.

The home side’s best opening arrived in the sixteenth minute when some slick city build-up play coaxed Hooiveld into a mistimed tackle on Tevez in the area, but Kelvin Davis kept out Silva’s tame penalty. Minutes later Tevez found himself with time and space in the box but Davis easily dealt with his shot.

Just as it was beginning to look like the Saints’ luck might just hold out until half-time, they were undone by some clinical attacking play by the champions. Nasri was afforded Championship-level time on the ball and his threaded pass was given a Premiership-level finish by Tevez whose accurate shot beat Davis at his near post. There were hints of offside, but Southampton could hardly argue that City didn’t deserve their half-time lead.

Given the one-sided nature of the first half, Southampton’s task looked ever more mountainous as the second half started in a similar vein; Silva struck the crossbar while Guly, Puncheon and Rodriguez struggled to make any inroads into the City half. That is until the first of Adkins’ substitutions when Rodriguez made way for last season’s Championship player of the year in the 55^th minute. Immediately Lambert’s range of passing and intricate link-up play with Lallana enabled Southampton some time on the ball, and a grasp on the match. Within three minutes of his introduction Ward-Prowse and Guly worked the ball to Lambert on the edge of the box, and the striker bent a superb first-time shot past Joe Hart to spark joyous celebrations from the Saints fans.

Back came City, winning a corner and forcing all eleven Saints players in the own penalty area, which makes the speed and precision of their counter-attack all the more impressive; Lallana anticipated Rodwell’s pass and his break to the halfway line was quickly supported by Steven Davis, another substitute. He returned the ball to Lallana in the box before brilliantly dispatching his captain’s lay-off into the far bottom corner.

The game was turned on its head and, with just twenty minutes remaining, the Saints might just have dared to dream of an improbable opening day scalp. The speed and ferocity of City’s response would surely determine the outcome, and sadly for Southampton the response was indeed swift. Within four minutes Southampton failed to deal with a corner and the ball eventually fell to Dzeko, who swept home from six yards. Given the circumstances of City’s final day triumph last season, a palpable sense of inevitability preceded their winning goal. With more than ten minutes still remaining, Danny Fox’s poor defensive header teed up Nasri who found the top corner and, just in case they had been in any doubt, Southampton fully understood the challenge they face this season.

The Premier League the Saints have rejoined is a very different animal to the one they left in 2005. The standards have been raised; the relegation battles will be harder fought and mistakes more readily seized upon. However, this Southampton Football Club is also unrecognisable from seven years ago. They have left Manchester with no points to add to their tally but their second half display will have left the league in little doubt that a new Southampton - with fresh enthusiasm, intent and impetus - have arrived. 

Lambert, Adkins and Lallana Make History as Southampton Romp Past Coventry

One of my most striking memories of Southampton’s recent past is of a home game to Nottingham Forest in December 2008. I sat and watched a team of misfits, too old or too young, being overrun by a positively average visiting team. I remember watching Forest score their second goal of a two-nil win, and Kelvin Davis turn to retrieve the ball from the back of his net. I remember him shaking his head. No belief, no real belief that the football club was on the right track either in the game or in general. I remember looking around the stadium, only half-filled with the depressed and the downtrodden, and thinking, to put it bluntly, ‘this is shit.’

It is a true measure of what has happened in the four years since, then, when I say that that moment in 2008, that relegation in 2005 and the heartbreak in the 2007 playoffs were all worth it. On Saturday April 28^th 2012 Southampton returned to the Premier League in style, demolishing Coventry City in front of the BBC cameras in a performance that showed the entire nation what the club has now become.

Positivity, not nervousness, filled St. Mary’s from the very start of the game. Coventry had started brightly, forcing a chance when Gary McSheffrey found space in the box, but his shot was brilliantly clawed away by Kelvin Davis. The Saints, though, never really looked back after they took the lead on the quarter-hour.

Fonte strode out of defence with the ball, releasing Guly down the right, and his cross was met by Adam Lallana’s volley. Sharp’s predatory instinct’s did the rest as he diverted the shot past Murphy and the ground erupted. The celebrations had barely died down when Southampton doubled their lead; a Danny Fox corner was met by Fonte for his first goal of the season, his header just evading the defender on the goal line. If the noise that greeted the first goal signalled unbridled joy, the pandemonium that ensued after the second was the sound of collective catharsis.

The Saints were now in complete control, exemplifying everything that had got them into this position in the first place. Schneiderlin, in what I predict will be his final game outside of the top-tier of English football, dominated the midfield almost single-handedly. A record crowd created the most enjoyable of match-day atmospheres as they roared their team on to finish the job, as well as directing a few choice words to their dear south coast neighbours, whose relegation was confirmed last weekend.

After the break their team did finish the job. Another Fox corner fell to Hooiveld who capped off a prolific season with another tidy finish. The players ran to the crowd, sharing the ecstasy of celebration and savouring the best moment of their careers. The party had begun in earnest by the time Lallana ran onto Lambert’s knock-down and sparked another crescendo of noise – Southampton’s seven-year Premier Division exile was over.

At the end of the game I joined the obligatory pitch-invasion and wandered through the joyful hoards towards where the players and management were celebrating in the Chairman’s box. I remember looking up and watching Nigel Adkins and Rickie Lambert conduct another rendition of ‘Oh When The Saints’ from their adoring fans. And I remember thinking, to put it bluntly, ‘this is absolutely fantastic.’

Davis’ Career Arc Nears a Fitting End as the Saints Travel to ‘Boro

Today Southampton FC stand three points away from a long awaited return to the Premier League. The club has been through some turbulent times and many changes since they relegation from the top tier in 2005, and perhaps only one man at the club fully appreciates the significance of what might be achieved at the Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough, this afternoon – Kelvin Davis.

Davis was recruited by George Burley in the summer of 2006 as the club aimed for a top-flight return at the second time of asking. His transfer was part of a £7m spending spree, but in a season that failed to live up to its billing, his signing was perhaps the most heavily criticised. After a successful stint with Ipswich, Davis had been given a chance in the Premier League with Sunderland, but his one and only season on Teesside was an unmitigated disaster – the team breaking the record for the lowest ever points total for the Division.

His first season at St Mary’s did little to justify Burley’s faith in the keeper; numerous errors cost Southampton any real chance of automatic promotion and he eventually lost the number one shirt, only returning to the side as they crashed out of the playoffs to Derby.

The spending that had funded Davis’ transfer soon caught up with the club, and they were unable to muster another challenge for promotion the following season, instead barely hanging onto their Championship status on the final day of the season. Once again Davis had lost his place in the team, and his days at St. Mary’s appeared to be numbered as it was suspected that the financially stricken Saints might try to recoup at least some of his £2m fee.

Instead, a new-look management team looked to Davis’ experience to help guide a startlingly young squad through increasingly unstable times at the club. Ultimately, the Saints ended the season relegated and in administration, but Davis’ fine displays in a struggling side perhaps meant more than he could have known at the time. His vastly improved form had instilled new confidence in him from the stands, and the supporters' newfound appreciation for their captain made all the difference as he opted to stay on in League 1 rather than jump-ship, ironically, to West Ham.

In the wake of exciting new ownership at St. Mary’s, Davis said he was determined to see through the task that he been brought to the club to achieve – promotion to the Premiership. That seemed a long way off when the club kicked off on minus ten points in England’s third tier, but the club’s transition from perennial underachievers to football-league tour de force has been swift. Less than three years on, and Southampton are on the brink of an improbable return to football’s top table under the stewardship of Nigel Adkins.

Davis has been vital in the transformation and his position as fans’ favourite was further enhanced after his astonishing performance won his side three points at Leeds in March. The club captain was mobbed by his teammates at the final whistle at Elland Road, and Davis’ reaction showed exactly what success this season would mean to him.

The denouement of Kelvin Davis’ own personal journey could well coincide with Southampton’s Premier League redemption. He, more than most, deserves a second shot at the big time.