Saints ahd two debutants at Ipswich on Saturday and now we at The Ugly Inside have our own debutant with their first article, Jo Preston asks the question, but what is the answer
Can this team make a name for itself?
OK, I know it is only one win and against second bottom, but a win is a win and vast improvements have been clear for all to see under Juric in terms of style and effort etc. The question is, can this team make a name for itself and go into the history books this year or perhaps, next year?
In my mind we have been down and out for weeks. I cannot see a great escape this time around. There is just too much to do. However, likely we will only need like 30-32 points to finish 4th bottom (assuming no one goes on an amazing out of character run) and from where we are that is only say 24 points maximum from 14 games. This equates to 1.71 points per game, which over an entire season is a 65 point season.
But we all know football does not work that way. We all know there is no way in the world this team could ever get 65 points in a season. But the good news is, they don’t have to. They only have to do it for about a third of a season. Team can do this and often over a season teams do go on such runs. So, can we? No question if we do, it would be by far the biggest escape in PL history, probably in top flight football history. Juric needs to get that belief in there. Make a name for yourself boys.
Alternatively, assuming normality continues and we do drop down back into the Championship, how well could this squad do next season after a summer of ins and outs and under the Juric reign. Personally I think the signs are bright. Juric obviously knows how to play the game and is getting a bigger tune out of most of them than the previous three managers ever did. I believe with a summer period to build his own team, we could push for the title, but ONLY on the proviso that we can keep some of what I see as the key players.
For me those key players are going to be Wellington, Onuachu, Archer, at least two from Dibling, Fernandes and Gronbaek, THB, Wood and at least one other, and also I would suggest we try to keep AA as we know in that league he will score 20+ goals. Anyway, I am sure there are others, but you get the point. We need to keep as many of the good ones as we can but would they stay?
Personally, I think they should. At this stage I doubt any of them would get signed up by a top half of the PL side, so if they leave, they could find themselves back in another relegation battle with their new team. Why not stay and make a name for themselves. Get into the SFC history books and win us our first ever tier two title.
Easy for me to say sat here with not a pot to pee in, but if I was most of those I would be thinking, OK, let’s see how it goes for a while in the Championship. I would be thinking to myself what fun it could be to make a serious title push and win something meaningful, rather than making up the numbers in the PL. Yeah I know all about salaries, but not all players are total mercenaries. Some do actually want to win things.
So, in summary, I am feeling really bright about the next year or so. I think we are down and will not go on the amazing run needed to go into this years history books. But I do honestly believe we could push for our first title next year if we can do as I have said, Keep Juric, let him build his team and keep some of these core players.
Southampton FC. 2026 Champions of the Sky Bet Championship.