Three goals for Southampton ahead of the 2022-2023 season
Southampton have not finished in the top half of the Premier League table since the 2016-2017 season. In the last two seasons, they have finished fifteenth in the league and managed to avoid relegation on both occasions.
Southampton's Ralph Hassenhuttl is a good manager, but the team pays for his inconsistency with a heavy loss every season.
The transfer window has not been an impressive one for the Saints. The upside is that there have been no significant departures from the first team bar Fraser Forster.
It looks like it will be another season of struggles for the team, and there will be pressure on Ralph Hassenhüttl to overachieve with what he has got.
Mentioned below are three goals that Southampton will look to achieve during the upcoming season.
#3. Avoid relegation
Avoiding relegation is a given for any club, but more so for those who are in actual danger of getting relegated.
While teams like Bournemouth and Fulham, the "yoyo clubs," could possibly make constitute two of the three teams to be relegated next season, the final spot is still open for several teams to fall into.
It is hard to predict who will be the third team to get relegated, but Southampton's flirtation with the relegation zone for several seasons render them vulnerable to getting relegated.
Around 2015, Southampton had one of the most stacked squads in the Premier League:
Never forget this Southampton side 🔥 https://t.co/YAzYahGTTl
While this is not what the Saints' fans want to hear, avoiding relegation must not be taken for granted.
However, it might not be enough for Hassenhüttl to keep his job as fans will not be able to digest a third consecutive bottom-five finish. The outlook could change depending on whether the club gets any business done during August, but right now, the prospects do look bleak.
#2. Not lose a game by more than five goals
Since the 2018-2019 season, Southampton have lost at least one game per season by more than five goals. Last season they lost by six goals to Chelsea, and in previous seasons suffered crushing defeats at the hands of Manchester United and Leicester City, losing by as much as nine goals.
It is a miracle of faith that the club have persisted with Hassenhüttl following such results along with their overall form.
One year ago today, Manchester United put NINE goals past Southampton 😳 https://t.co/zywLaWHhl3
If Southampton can avoid a heavy defeat this season, it will be a sign of progression, and fans will hope that it is successfully backed by positive form. The team tends to go through patches of good form, but they hit equally dismal lows.
They have won only one of their last eleven games in the Premier League which, among other things, isn't good for the team's morale.
#1. Southampton will look to concede fewer goals
The Saints scored one more goal than Brighton and Hove Albion last season, who finished in the top half of the league. The Saints scored 43 goals while Brighton scored 42.
But the Saints conceded 67 goals during the season, and that cost them. James Ward-Prowse is their primary goal threat, and they have added players like Joe Aribo and Sekou Mara to strengthen their offense.
46 - Since the start of last season, Southampton have dropped 46 points from winning positions in the Premier League, nine more than any other side. Familiar. https://t.co/hUR3cAeY6k
Defensively they have not reinforced their ranks and only bought Armel Bella-Kotchap during this window, who is a 20-year-old centre-back. While no one has left the club, it does seem like the Saints will have to rely on players like Lynaco, Jan Bednarek, and Mohammed Salisu.
There are ominous signs looming around Hassenhüttl and the club's future.