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Southampton

Latest updates

  1. Give us your thoughts on your club's pagepublished at 14:10 10 May

    Club page

    Your club, your voice.

    We'd love to hear what you think of this club page.

    What do you like?

    What could be improved?

    Send us your thoughts here

  2. Sutton's predictions: Southampton v Man Citypublished at 14:09 10 May

    Sutton's predictions graphic

    Manchester City have got the FA Cup final to look forward to next weekend but they also have a top-five place to secure, so there is no danger they will not be fully focused on that on Saturday.

    After winning their past four league games, City also have some real momentum for the first time in a long while. You have to go back to August and early September for the last time they managed a run like that.

    So I can only see one outcome at St Mary's Stadium, and it is going to leave Southampton stuck on 11 points for at least another week. The only question here really is how many goals City score.

    Sutton's prediction: 0-3

    Read the full predictions and have your say here.

  3. Down with a fight or the t-worst team ever? published at 12:45 9 May

    Dejected Southampton playersImage source, Getty Images

    It is almost 17 years to the day that Derby County finished the 2007-08 Premier League season with a record lowest points total of 11.

    The Rams ended their campaign with six straight defeats, which culminated in a 4-0 loss at home to Reading on the final day.

    Southampton need one point from their final three games of this season to avoid sharing that record, but how easy will that be for a side with nine defeats in their last 11 games?

    Home matches against two of the Premier League's top three in Manchester City - on Saturday - and Arsenal should prove hard enough, but sandwiched in-between is a trip to Merseyside for Everton's final game at Goodison Park.

    One positive for the Saints is that they earned their first three points of the season in the reverse fixture against the Toffees in November.

    However, their league form has been poor since then and they have picked up just one point from the following 12 games at St Mary's.

    Interim manager Simon Rusk challenged his players to "end the season with as much dignity as possible" on Thursday.

    He added: "One of the issues is we fell short this year. Whether that's [because we are] competing at an extraordinary level of competition or not.

    "When I inherited these seven games the main thing I wanted to do was to stick together in the good times and especially during the difficult times."

    Full commentary of Southampton v Manchester City from 15:00 BST on BBC Radio 5 Live on Saturday.

  4. Rusk on Fernandes, dignity and Man Citypublished at 14:52 8 May

    Alex Fletcher
    BBC Sport journalist

    Southampton interim boss Simon Rusk has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Manchester City (kick-off 15:00 BST).

    Here are the key lines from his news conference:

    • Rusk hopes to have everyone available for the game and said his squad has a "fairly clean bill of health".

    • On Mateus Fernandes' availability after he was substituted against Leicester City: "He's recovered from last week [against Leicester] and he's trained well this week and hopefully he can put a good performance in for us on Saturday."

    • Asked about the defeat at King Power, Rusk said "it was a sore one" but that he wanted his side to "lick their wounds and get ready for the next one".

    • On whether there will be changes to his team: "When you get a bad result like that, there's a lot of work that feels undone and so we have to do the work again. We can't be victims and feel sorry for ourselves. My message to the players was that all we can do is take care of our actions. There are lots of reasons as to why you arrive at a starting XI but what I did say to the players was: 'Be at it'."

    • Rusk said that he wants to "finish the season on a high and build momentum": "[It's a chance] to end the season with as much dignity as possible."

    • On Manchester City: "What we are facing is the greatest team and greatest manager for nine or 10 years now. By their standards, they'll be disappointed that they haven't been in and around the title but when you look at their capabilities, you know we are going to be tested.

    • Rusk added that: "It's important we don't move in to fear territory in these games and instead we put our best foot forward."

    Follow all of the day's football news on our dedicated live page

    Full commentary of Southampton v Manchester City from 15:00 BST on BBC Radio 5 Live on Saturday

    An image detailing how to follow your Premier League team on BBC Sport: "On the app? Tap the bell icon to get news about your club sent to you. Signed in on a browser? Hit 'Follow' to stay up to date.
  5. Did you know? published at 11:53 8 May

    Kevin de Bruyne (left) and Pep Guardiola Image source, Getty Images

    Manchester City's Kevin de Bruyne has been directly involved in more Premier League goals against Southampton (14 – four goals, 10 assists) than against any other side.

    Only Ryan Giggs (12 v Manchester City and 12 v Newcastle) and Cesc Fabregas (11 v Tottenham) have more assists against an opponent in the competition than De Bruyne's 10 against the Saints.

    City have won their past four Premier League games, their t-longest winning run of the season. They are looking to win back-to-back away league games for the first time since August.

  6. 'There's bottom, rock bottom - and then this'published at 12:42 6 May

    Ray Hunt
    Fan writer

    Southampton fan's voice banner
    Southampton players against LeicesterImage source, Getty Images

    The white flag is being well and truly waved after another loss. This time to a poor Leicester side who had failed to score a home goal since December.

    It was one of the most disappointing performances and results of the season, especially considering it was probably our final hope for any points.

    It actually looked a positive start, until Jamie Vardy breached our wide open backline to end Leicester's goal-drought of 826 minutes at King Power Stadium.

    When Jordan Ayew doubled the lead just before half-time, it effectively ended any hopes of a fightback. The last time Saints scored twice in a match was against Ipswich in February and have only managed it on four occasions this season. Only one of those yielded points. There is no belief that we can overturn any deficit. To not even push is one of the hardest things to take.

    Simon Rusk itted he had as much chance of turning Southampton into a dynamic force in the Premier League as he did of achieving world peace.

    All we ask is to match a struggling side and we could not even muster up enough effort, pride or confidence for that.

    There's bottom, rock bottom and then there is this. We are guaranteed the 20th spot now, and with games against Manchester City and Arsenal at home left - both of whom are still playing for something - there is very little hope of expecting anything other than a hammering.

    Everton's last hurrah at Goodison Park should also prove a stumbling block for this sorry season.

    the final day against Liverpool in 2023? Any chance of that?

    Find more from Ray Hunt at the In that Number podcast, external

    An image detailing how to follow your Premier League team on BBC Sport: "On the app? Tap the bell icon to get news about your club sent to you. Signed in on a browser? Hit 'Follow' to stay up to date.
  7. A 'growing disconnect' at Southamptonpublished at 13:39 5 May

    Mark Scott
    Final Score reporter

    Simon Rusk applauds ers post-matchImage source, Getty Images

    Southampton fans have not had much to shout about this season - but they sang themselves hoarse about the decision to substitute Mateus Fernandes at Leicester City.

    Interim boss Simon Rusk was on the defensive afterwards, explaining that it was not a tactical decision to bring off the fan favourite, but that was not the only grief Saints received.

    The players also copped it from the travelling ers, with Rusk forced to deny that they had given up in the second half.

    We already know that Saints require a massive overhaul in the summer, but there also seems to be a growing disconnect between the fans and the club. That could make life in an already difficult division next season an even bigger challenge.

  8. 'Gutless excuse of a performance' - fans on loss at Leicester published at 09:58 5 May

    Your views banner
    Southampton players after conceding against Leicester Image source, Getty Images

    We asked for your thoughts after Southampton's defeat at Leicester on Saturday.

    Here are some of your comments:

    Mark: That was a gutless, lazy, pathetic excuse of a performance from Saints. No effort, no desire to get forward, weird substitutions yet again. An absolute car crash display against the second-worst team.

    Glenn: Terrible display. The players are supposed to be professional but all season game after game it hasn't changed. They must feel so embarrassed being the worst of the worst and the owners should take full responsibility for this.

    Matt: An embarrassment to our city. An embarrassment to the Premier League. Ninety-nine per cent of that team can go, and I also wish we'd never been promoted.

    Emil: No leader, no goalscorers, five consecutive poor and deluded managers, no captain, and in so many games this season, no clue. Russell Martin absolutely failed to prepare for the Premier League and left a squad only able to sideways and backwards. Totally unfit for 90 minutes of Premier League football. The worst season in my lifetime of ing them, spanning seven decades.

    Lee: The side thoroughly deserves to the labelled the worst Premier League side of all time. Absolutely useless.

    Ian: This was as bad as it has ever been. I have seen good times and bad as a Saints fan, but this has to be an all-time low. A complete lack of ion and fight, which, from a fan's perspective, is really unacceptable. I live in hope for next season in the Championship, but realistically live in fear of a second relegation unless we have a complete change of mindset and personnel.

    Keith: Only three more matches of misery. Do teams do a lap of dishonour after the final match?

    Jack: I watched Saints under Ian Branfoot, and that was terrible. This lot are worse.

    An image detailing how to follow your Premier League team on BBC Sport: "On the app? Tap the bell icon to get news about your club sent to you. Signed in on a browser? Hit 'Follow' to stay up to date.
  9. 🎧 Misery in the Midlandspublished at 20:12 3 May

    Southampton BBC graphic

    The latest episode of the Goin' Home With Adam And Jo podcast has landed.

    BBC Radio Solent's Adam Blackmore and former Saints player Jo Tessem discuss Saturday's defeat against Leicester.

    Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

    Listen on BBC Sounds banner
  10. Leicester 2-0 Southampton: Derby County watching onpublished at 18:36 3 May

    Emily Salley
    BBC Sport journalist

    Ryan Manning, Cameron Archer, Tyler Dibling and Jay Robinson of Southampton look dejectedImage source, Getty Images

    The end of the season can not come fast enough for Southampton.

    Even against the second-worst team in the Premier League, the Saints were outplayed and lacked any sort of cutting edge.

    Leicester dominated and the game was put to bed when Jordan Ayew added the Foxes' second before before the break.

    It is likely that many Derby County fans thought this was the game that would see Southampton move clear from their longstanding, unwanted points tally record.

    But still the Saints stay on course to equal Derby's 11 points from the 2007-08 season.

    One point will do the job, but where does it come from? Arsenal have been second-best in the league this season, while Manchester City have recovered from their blip and are chasing Champions League football.

    It looks like the trip to Everton, who are winless in their last three, on the penultimate weekend of the season is the Saints' best hope to get that all-important point.

    But whether they can do it or not is another story altogether. Interim boss Simon Rusk will certainly need his side to put on a better performance than what they showed at King Power Stadium.

    An image detailing how to follow your Premier League team on BBC Sport: "On the app? Tap the bell icon to get news about your club sent to you. Signed in on a browser? Hit 'Follow' to stay up to date.
  11. 'There is only so much you can do for confidence'published at 17:54 3 May

    Simon Rusk managing SouthamptonImage source, Getty Images

    Simon Rusk spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Southampton's defeat against Leicester: "We started well in the game and we were disappointed with the fashion of the goal. It gave them life and in the end they were worthy of the win.

    "We're bottom of the league and it's been a really difficult season. We're lacking confidence and there's only so much you can do for confidence really. We have to keep going. We didn't give up. We're hoping for that one goal that gets us back in it but it never came."

    On last three matches to get over 11 points: "The points situation is the points situation. I have inherited seven games in difficult circumstances and I can only take it one game at a time. Hopefully we pick something up in these last three games."

  12. Did you know?published at 17:40 3 May

    Lesley UgochukwuImage source, Getty Images

    Defeat in this match confirmed that Southampton will finish bottom of the Premier League this season. It's the third time that the Saints have finished last (also 2004-05 and 2022-23), the t-most of any side in the competition (Sunderland in 2002-03, 2005-06 and 2016-17).

  13. Follow Saturday's Premier League games livepublished at 11:08 3 May

    A graphic showing players from all 20 Premier League clubs with the text: "Follow the teams you care about. Sign in or create an  for the latest news, expert opinion, fan views and stats, and to get notifications."
    An image detailing how to follow your Premier League team on BBC Sport: "On the app? Tap the bell icon to get news about your club sent to you. Signed in on a browser? Hit 'Follow' to stay up to date.

    Five matches make up Saturday's Premier League action and BBC Sport will bring you every kick.

    Kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated

    Follow all of the action and reaction here

  14. Sutton's predictions: Leicester v Southamptonpublished at 11:06 3 May

    Sutton's predictions graphic

    Leicester have been rotten but, somehow, Southampton have been even worse.

    It is sad to see Jamie Vardy leaving the Foxes at the end of the season, but maybe this might be the send-off he deserves. I am going with him to score the winner.

    These two teams actually served up a thriller at St Mary's Stadium back in October, when Vardy got one of Leicester's goals as they fought back from 2-0 down to win 3-2.

    I am expecting the same outcome here, just with a lot less excitement. The readers will go for a draw, I am sure of it, but I am pretty confident about Leicester taking this one.

    Sutton's prediction: 1-0

    Read the full predictions and have your say here

  15. The answerpublished at 16:54 2 May

    Taylor Harwood-BellisImage source, PA Media

    Earlier, we asked you to name the current Southampton player from a series of clues.

    The correct answer is Taylor Harwood-Bellis.