It was over three months ago that Saints confirmed their return to the Premier League after a seven year absence by beating Coventry City, are they ready for the Premier though ?

It couldnt be a harder start for Saints, of that there can be no doubt, a visit to Champions Manchester City and not just that, but City had the best home record in the entire Premier last season, winning 18 and drawing 1 of there 19 home fixtures, scoring 55 goals and conceding only 12, a daunting task to say the least.

But the worry is that Saints have not strengthened enough in the summer, given that our squad was rather short on Premier League experience to start with, our four signings whilst big on potential are also short on top flight experience, only Steve Davis having played in the Premier League and that being around five years ago.

Most supporters and presuambly the manager and Chairman, judging by the players we have alledgedly tried to sign over the past couple of months are in agreement that in key positions we are lacking, namely in the centre of defence and out wide and although it cant be denied we have tried to make signings in these areas, the fact is that with three days to go before the big kick off, we havent managed too and that has to be worrying.

Nigel Adkins has been employing different formations in the pre season friendlies and it seems that he favours a different line up than he employed most of last season, but the blunt truth is that as we stand, the squad is on the face of it lacking the quality we need, albeit not for the lack of trying.

It could be said that given City's record this is a game that it doesnt matter who we put out, we are likely to be beaten and there is a lot of truth in that, but every point is vital in the Premier, and although we could get away with a bit of damage limitation on Sunday, it is absolutely vital that we take three points from Wigan the following week, no easy task, although Wigan have been perrenial strugglers over the years, the fact is they are battle hardened troops in the premier, so it will be no cake walk.

Im sure there will be some who read this article and snort derisively and state that we will not be flirting with relegation at all and that this squad will be good enough for a mid table finish, whilst thats not beyone the realms of possibility, I would point out that both Norwich and Swansea invested not only wisely last summer, but significantly more than we have so far.

Secondly the Premier league is not easy, points wise, eight clubs were within 11 points of joining the bottom three and being relegated, thats well over half the division who could have been dragged into it, those who were there for the last five years of our last tenure in the Premier would do well to compare the side that we had back then, how many of our current squad would have got into the starting line up of our 2002/03 side that finished eighth, I would say two at most,  even when looking at the side that was relegated, not many of our current squad would have got into the first XI of that either and that has to echo a few words of caution about not getting too carried away with our expectations for the coming season.

Although I dont want to sound too pessimistic, the fact is that this is part of a five year plan, one that we have so far overachieved in, that being the case, this season should be one of consolidation rather than expecting more of the same in terms of progress, I am all for aiming high and as our Chairman puts it "reaching for the moon and getting the stars" put we also have to be realistic in the coming season, last season Liverpool had a team costing multi millions yet only finished eighth, whilst Everton & Newcastle perhaps showed them what can be achieved by good management rather than big spending, thats the exception to the rule and the division has plenty of good managers in it who dont have the money and have to fight against the threat of relegation.

So perhaps the answer to the question asked is that NO ! Saints are not yer ready for the Premiership, over the coming weeks perhaps that will change as we hopefully strengthen through the transfer market and players both current and new signings step up to the plate, but the stark facts at the moment is that we havent strengthened as much as our two fellow promoted clubs in key areas and certainly far less than most of the other lower half Premier clubs, we start at a disadvantage with most of our squad an unknown quanity at this level, so therefore as much as we hope and pray that we are ready, the fact is despite all the best efforts to stengthen we arent there just yet.    

Photo: Action Images

Butty101 added 12:07 - Aug 16 I dont understand why you compare the this team to the cup final team. Perhaps a better comparison is this team to the one that went down, being that 17th is our target and not 8th. From the outside it looks to me like Reading have gone for quantity not quality. Bar Pavel Pogrebnyak i dont see which of their signings would get in our side
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slynch added 12:10 - Aug 16 The question come Sunday is: Have Manchester City strengthened enough!?
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SaintNick added 12:19 - Aug 16 I did compare it to our relegated side as well, not many of this squad would have got in that either
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redandwhitedee added 12:24 - Aug 16 Yes is the answer.we have sufficient quality to give at least 50 pct of the league a good game. Maybe a positive article next would make a nice change ?
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SaintNick added 12:26 - Aug 16 sorry you dont think its positive, but I do think its realistic, we currently have a squad with very few premiership appearances between them, so from that point of view we are a completely unknown quality, on a positive note they might come good, but as of yet we dont know that, paying one or two gambles is a risk, playing virtually an entire squad is folly
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geezershoong added 12:36 - Aug 16 True, very few have PL experience but they've got to get it somewhere down the line, they'll have to suck it up and adapt pretty quickly. They are professionals after all - let's try to have a bit of faith in them.
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pintsizedsaint added 13:24 - Aug 16 I think many Saints fans will share your concern, while others will rely on the relentless optimism you need if you are a fan of any club outside the top 5 in the premiership. Yet I think the outcome will be somewhere between the two. Perhaps the lack of premiership experience is a red herring. Clearly a club like Saints at present will have little or no chance tempting a really decent, proven player from any of our rivals (unless we offer silly money – and that won’t happen). And we have learnt from our mistake of picking up fallen (or falling) premiership players who are on their last legs and just want a good wage deal. Add to the problem the fact that any really rated foreign player who would adapt to the premier league is: a) rare and, b) most likely being tracked by bigger names than us. So aren’t we just trying to find a way around the pitfalls above? It seems to me that we have adopted a long term strategy of identifying (predominately) British players that don’t have the experience, but have the skills, temperament etc to be successful in this league and (most importantly) as a unit can become very strong as that experience grows. Yes, it’s a risk (we pin our hopes on the knowledge of NA and the scouts) but it’s a calculated risk and, I think, the only valid one open to Saints. We’re likely to be done over by Man City and others - but it is what these players get out of it that really matters. If we have got our sums right on these players they will learn, adapt and play to their potential. If not, well – at least we will stand a better chance at retaining a good squad with good experience that can come straight back up.

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slynch added 13:42 - Aug 16 To put the value of premier league experience into context perhaps one needs to looks how much there was in the teams that got relegated last season.
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adhoc_qpr added 14:52 - Aug 16 From an outside perspective (interested QPR fan) the spine of your team looks very weak: Kelvin Davis has previously stuggled in the prem (my missus is a Sunderland fan so i've seen a lot of him) Your centre back pairing Hooiveld and Fonte is unproven at this level and injury/suspension puts you in real trouble. Your best midfielder Steven Davis last appearances at this level were for a very uninspiring Fulham team that struggled. Chaplow and Cork have never impressed either. On the plus side you could have leveled most of this criticisms at Norwich last season, your Manager is impressive and Lambert, Lallana and Rodriguez may have goals in them. Survival is a realistic goal for Soton with so many teams in the relegation battle this season, lots of new managers, 2nd season syndrome etc etc - but i can't understand where the confidence for comfortable midtable comes from?

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winchesterbob added 14:59 - Aug 16 Doomed........We're doomed I tell ye!! Get a grip!!.... this is Saints we are talking about....... While Nick will bang on about some anal stats or some even more anal book I will be looking forward, (in my usual deluded way), to a fab season followed by European football next season....... And if we don't I will still be a Saints supporter. Realistically it's going to be tough..... perhaps too tough but w've got this far so for goodness sake lets have at least a little bloody optimism

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Whatsforpud added 15:57 - Aug 16 One asset we have is a team that is got into the habit of winning. It may sound naive, but team spirit has to be a factor in performance. We have to make it fortress St Mary's.
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slynch added 16:34 - Aug 16 winchesterbob, there's no way I'm being optimistic - I'm with StNick...this season Saints have no chance of being promoted. :-D
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A1079 added 16:55 - Aug 16 I tend to agree with SaintNick. My expectations are quite low and I tend to think, realistic. It will be a challenging season, but team spirit will be very important. May sound stupid, but there are alot of teams with excellent players but lack that spirit. I am not writing us off, but it is going to be tough. We will have to judge over a whole season. Should we have a good first half you have to be mindful of promoted clubs that start well and then drop like a proverbial stone post Christmas, but similarly if we start bad or results don't go our way, there is no reason we cannot fight our way into a healthy position. It could be a real rollercoaster. If we get relegated, I will be disappointed but not surprised, if we reach mid-table I will be delighted. I am sure this does not fit well with the eternal optimists.

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slynch added 17:55 - Aug 16 I reckon we'll beat Man City easily. If you look at the home page here the game's advertised for Saturday! http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/southampton/
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tiptop added 20:52 - Aug 16 Strength in depth is a massive worry, especially in defence. Some of my fears (excluding prem opposition!) are based on our worst performances last season against the like of Reading away, Leeds away, Leicester home.. Pressed with pace all over the pitch followed by the, at our worst, shaky inablity to retain the ball. We came through that and we have to believe the TEAM have learned from those experiences and the sum of our parts continues to grow stronger and stays positive while waiting for the necessary enforcements. The last 15 mins of the friendly against Udinese was encouraging. OK Udinese made subs but we were fighting more and giving an extra 10% to save some pride. Losing was not a good feeling for them and it showed. We kept the ball and moved it well and created chances. Also we have James Ward Prowse who is going to be like a new signing. He is class and is light years ahead of Hammond Chaplow and to some degree Cork at his best for me. He is the kind of midfielder we needed to 'sign'. OK hes not big but nor is Scott Parker. You get slightly more time on the ball in the prem so they say. This could suite us. You also get punished virtually every time you give the ball away..

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Zambucco added 23:13 - Aug 16 Here's a couple of articles that suggest we will do okay http://hereisthecity.com/2012/08/14/why-reading-and-southampton-should-not-be-ta http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1298351-five-reasons-why-southampton-can-shoc Let the games begin!
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