Southampton

Adam Blackmore
BBC Radio Solent sports editor

Throughout Tuesday, we're doing a special Q&A with BBC Radio Solent's Adam Blackmore. In the first part, he assesses the wreckage of the 2024-25 season.

Jack asked: I would be interested in hearing a breakdown of your thoughts. Where do you think it has gone wrong? What should the club have done differently? Were we always doomed? What needs to change next season?

Adam: I do not think the club were always doomed. I think relegation was absolutely avoidable, and the relegation is a consequence of recruitment and managerial decisions.

There was a brain drain in recruitment following the departure of Jason Wilcox, and not replacing him quickly has been a factor. The summer recruitment was too much about buying potential at decent prices and hoping it would pay off. It did not.

And that has been the biggest flaw for Sport Republic - trying to outsmart the market and failing consistently to do so over three years. The squad needed to be smaller and of higher quality, not bloated and average.

Ultimately, whoever the manager is, when the team is not good enough you are always going to be up against it. As for the managers, it is pretty subjective whether you think Russell Martin's style of football would have worked over time, but if you think back to December, it was impossible for it to carry on.

There is frustration that he and Ivan Juric both tried to impose a style of football on players in very different ways but with very similar outcomes.

David asked: Why do you think our recent managers have not played to the players' strengths and decided to do it their way?

Adam: It is a big question to answer and one that I can only take an estimated guess on because only Martin and Juric could answer this question definitively.

Any manager has a preferred way of playing and that is generally what they trust because it has got them to the point they are at in their careers and any success they have had. I think when it starts to go wrong we all then wonder why they do not adapt.

For me, it is a failing of modern management that coaches 'stick to their principles', which are often based on wanting to deliver good analytics and stats. In my mind, that is ego-driven and not always for the betterment of the team or the club.

On the basis that I absolutely concur with what my football mentor and partner for many years Dave Merrington taught me - that a coach's job is to help his players - both Russell and Ivan have not done that. Even though they may say, justifiably, that they are trying to make the players better by teaching them to play 'their' way, the Premier League is not the place to practise something you cannot do, whether that is playing out from your own six-yard area, or trying to man-mark players all over the pitch.

There were lower-risk options that may well have led to Saints picking up more points, and gaining confidence along the way that could have helped them be better individually and give the team a hope of staying up.

Come back later on Tuesday for part two where Adam explores if there are any positives from this season...

Ray Hunt
Fan writer

The Southampton fanbase are not really expecting too much from the run-in. If you are only searching for three more points to avoid becoming the worst team in Premier League history, then you are not really setting your sights too high.

Most of us find ourselves fixture-watching and planning from where those elusive points could possibly emanate. In truth, it is hard to see where a single point is coming from the nine games remaining. West Ham and Leicester away seem the most likely, but both came away from St Mary's with maximum points.

But then, haven't most?

It is becoming ever clearer that Tyler Dibling will be getting a summer move to remain in the Premier League next season. There are reports that a number of clubs have shown interest and if you are to believe the rumours, we have slapped a 100ドルm price tag on the teenager.

If we are to make the most and gain a fee anywhere near that figure then it is important to give Dibling as many games as possible in the run-in, in a formation that best deploys his and Mateus Fernandes' talents. Is making sure we get the most value from our current assets all we can hope for now?

I would also like to see Ivan Juric drop the back five and play a recognised striker as the focal point. Our first point of the season and first senior goal for Dibling came by playing that system, as did our early success in the Carabao Cup, albeit against lower-league opposition.

For too many weeks now, we have been asking attacking midfielders to play that lone forward role - to no avail. It seems Juric is trying everything but the obvious. Juric's man-for-man marking becomes predictable and has left huge gaps in the middle which we are not equipped to deal with.

With Crystal Palace and Tottenham next up, I fear it will be more of the same.

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

BBC Radio Solent sports editor Adam Blackmore says Southampton's financial accounts for the year ending June 2024 are a "good marker" for what the club can expect should they immediately return to the Championship.

Saints recorded a pre-tax and interest profit of 36ドル.4m and a post-tax profit of 5ドル.7m, following five successive years of reporting losses.

However, this was aided by a mass exodus of players following relegation in 2023.

"They are a good marker for us to look forward to financial life in the Championship next season," said Blackmore.

"Yes, they made a net profit of 5ドル.7m but that only happened from the fire sale of players after dropping out of the Premier League.

"That included Tino Livramento, James Ward-Prowse, Nathan Tella, Romeo Lavia for big money, Mislav Orsic and more. It was well over 100ドルm of sales.

"The biggest problem for clubs dropping out of the Premier League is your turnover drops because of the broadcasting income. Saints' income went down over 60ドルm from 145ドルm to 84ドル.8m and we can expect something similar to happen again.

"They also invested during that period in the Championship - over 4ドルm in infrastructure including safe standing, a new fan zone, stadium wifi - and that's all in place and won't really need spending on again going forward."

Listen to the full chat on BBC Sounds

BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions.

The below question comes from Thursday's gossip column, which suggested Premier League clubs were being quoted upwards of 100ドルm to sign Southampton's Tyler Dibling.

Tim asked: Phil, Tyler Dibling, 100ドルm? Rogers was 8ドルm from Middlesbrough 12 months ago having achieved more. Dibling is OK at dribbling but, expecting any team to pay multiples of Rogers' fee is nuts, right?

Phil answered: I really like the look of Tyler Dibling but I think the notion of any club paying 100ドルm for the 19-year-old (no matter how talented he is) with only one season Premier League is fanciful.

He is Southampton's player, though, and it is absolutely right that they reserve the right to hold out for the highest possible price if and when he does leave Saints.

Follow the rest of the Q+A plus all of the day's football news

Midfielder Mateus Fernandes has been drawing the attention of plenty of clubs this season with his impressive displays for a Southampton side struggling at the bottom of the Premier League table.

"Mateus Fernandes is on people's radar because every week he plays his heart out, he is by far the best player on the football pitch from a Saints perspective," former midfielder Jo Tessem told this week's BBC Radio Solent Southampton podcast.

Tessem was full of praise for the Portugal Under-21 international, stating that he thinks the player is on a similar path to Romeo Lavia, who left St Mary's to join Chelsea after just one season in the summer of 2023.

"I said the same about Romeo Lavia," Tessem added.

"I didn't think he would stay for a season in the Championship and he didn't - leaving after a year - and he [Fernandes] is on a similar level, albeit a different type of player.

"He is becoming an ultimate Premier League midfielder and clubs are not going to let that go.

"He plays like a Premier League player. He passes like a Premier League player. He is quick like a Premier League player. He conducts himself so well in midfield."

Listen to the full episode now on BBC Sounds

Premier League clubs have agreed the dates for the summer transfer window.

The window will open early, between Sunday 1 June and Tuesday 10 June, due to an exceptional registration period relating to the Fifa Club World Cup.

It will then reopen on Monday 16 June and close on Monday 1 September.

Former Southampton player Jo Tessem believes that Saints youngster Tyler Dibling "belongs in the Premier League" amid rumours that clubs such as Tottenham and Manchester City are interested in signing him this summer.

"He is a young, English, talent and attractive to the bigger clubs," Tessem told BBC Radio Solent's Southampton FC podcast. "He belongs in the Premier League. He may be sold this summer and I think he will do well in the Premier League."

The club has reportedly put a 100ドルm price tag on the 19-year-old forward, however Tessem says that it could suit his development to continue at St Mary's for a spell in the Championship next season.

He added: "In terms of his development he might need to take some steps, so maybe completing a full season in the Championship, where he can be very good, might be the right way for him.

"It might be the way that he doesn't want but it might be the right decision [for his career]."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

There have been many standout free-kicks in the FA Cup over the years, so BBC Sport has wound back the years and selected a few to celebrate all over again.

Former Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse could have his own free-kick montage after becoming one of the best set-piece takers in Premier League history.

But let's rewind to Tuesday, 19 January 2021 when he beat a Shrewsbury Town four-man wall to put the ball in the back of the net.

Pace, dip and power - it had too much for the visiting goalkeeper in front of an empty St Mary's during the Covid-affected season.

Fast forward to 03'00 to enjoy.

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 plans for the upcoming summer transfer window.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Southampton will demand more than 100ドルm for 19-year-old winger Tyler Dibling with the Englishman wanted by Tottenham and Manchester City. (Telegraph), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Ray Hunt
Fan writer

Loaded questions that would be open to a multitude of answers for many Saints fans. The easy answer is everyone/everything needs to change. This goes from players, to management and right up to the ownership group.

There is a small group of players who have, and will continue to give their all for the rest of this miserable season. I think we should all assume that Kyle Walker-Peters, Aaron Ramsdale and Tyler Dibling will get their desire to stay in the Premier League next season. And they will all have deserved their moves away.

There are also players who will need to push to put themselves in the shop window.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Armel Bella-Kotchap will certainly feel they deserve a move, so they will need improvements. Then again, so does the whole defensive core.

The key player that stands out for me is Flynn Downes. He was a staple for Russell Martin's promotion-winning side, which led to turning his loan into a buy in the summer.

However, he has had his struggles adjusting to life in the Premier League this season and, as a result, his transfer fee came under scrutiny. There was a failed attempt at a January move that has not earned him any favours with the locals and he has since slipped out of Ivan Juric's squad.

He has had limited minutes of late, missing the Anfield trip, but did feature for the final 10 against Wolves most recently. If he has any intention of remaining a Premier League player then he will need to force his way back into Juric's plans.

For the sake of Southampton's bid to catch those 11 points, we deserve and expect Downes to be at his very best again.

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

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

England Under-21 skipper Taylor Harwood-Bellis has returned to Southampton for a scan on a thigh injury.

The centre-back was forced off in Friday's 5-3 friendly defeat in France and left St George's Park over the weekend before Monday's game with Portugal.

Southampton, bottom of the Premier League, do not play again until 2 April when they host Crystal Palace.

Boss Lee Carsley said: "Taylor's been sent back to the club, he'll get a scan on his thigh. It seemed OK but we've said in the past we'll never take any chances with the players. As soon as there's an issue they go back to the club."

Harwood-Bellis - who scored on his senior debut against Ireland under Carsley in November - was replaced by Charlie Cresswell after 62 minutes of the defeat in Lorient.

The Young Lions - who won the tournament in 2023 under Carsley - are preparing for Euro 2025 this summer where they will face the Czech Republic, Germany and Slovenia in Slovakia.

Tottenham have begun exploring a deal for Southampton's 19-year-old midfielder Tyler Dibling. (Givemesport, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

It's international break. It's quiet. There's not much to talk about. But we know you'll have plenty on your minds when it comes to Southampton.

So we've lined up BBC Radio Solent sports editor Adam Blackmore to answer your Saints questions

It could be the relegation battle, tactics, recruitment, summer plans, the club's hierarchy - or something totally different.

Send them in and he will tackle a selection.

Submit your questions here

Come back next week to read his replies

We asked you to tell us one thing - good or bad - that nobody is talking about at Southampton.

Here are some of your replies:

Corey: People always say Russell Martin was the problem - he wasn't. Juric has managed fewer games and Martin managed more games, but we did get more points under Martin. We should have kept him on until the end of the season, and then fixed the team and staff. Sport Republic needs to sort out its manager recruitment.

William: Sport Republic's ineptitude eclipses everything else and it is still managing to fly under the radar.

Jack: Sport Republic is very quickly losing the fans' support. I will start by saying it has done a great job of increasing the atmosphere pre-game, but it doesn't treat Saints like a football club. There is no communication with the fans and do I even need to explain recruitment? Some of the decisions have been indefensible and I'm concerned about the direction the club is heading. We used to have a 10-year plan under previous ownership, but right now I see a rotting club. The problem is bigger than the managers and players.

Dave: When is Ross Stewart going to be fit? We bought him as an injured player and he has only come on the pitch twice!

Geoff: With so many players arriving and leaving in short order, they have no time to develop any loyalty or affection for the club. The Lallana, Shaw and Chambers generation has never been recreated, and every smaller club is now doing what Saints did so successfully 15 years ago or more. When diehards, such as James Ward-Prowse, choose more ambitious and better-run clubs, something major has gone wrong.

Noah: Nobody seems to be talking about the positives. There have been a few good matches this season and we have quite a bit of talent behind our players.

Southampton are doomed to relegation, with the immediate target simply being to surpass Derby County's record lowest points total in a Premier League season.

The Saints have won only one match since Ivan Juric succeeded Russell Martin in December.

But is there something else that is slipping under the radar? What is the one thing - good or bad - nobody is talking about in relation to Southampton?

Let us know here

Ray Hunt
Fan writer

Saints once again failed to stop the rot and slumped to their fifth straight Premier League defeat and ninth consecutive at St. Mary's.

In doing so, they become only the fourth team in top-flight history with that embarrassing record.

After a bold performance at Anfield playing four at the back, Ivan Juric, again tinkered with squad selection and reverted to a back five which included three full-backs, no recognised striker and Albert Gronbaek, once again, keeping warm on the bench.

All the positives from the previous fixture were seemingly ignored, at home to Wolves, who themselves aren't yet secure, and without top marksman Matheus Cunha. It feels like a huge chance has gone by.

Bizarre team selections are the norm these days. For a team who only have 21 goals to their credit, to leave focal points like Paul Onuachu and Cameron Archer on the bench to deploy five at the back is ludicrous. The team are beat before a ball has been kicked.

In-game tactics also proved peculiar. Onuachu came on at the break for Mateus Fernandes to a chorus of boos around St. Mary's. We also saw centre-half Jack Stephens try his hand upfront in the final stages. It's hard to know what Juric will do next.

The team, as a whole, didn't play too badly in parts. We've seen far worse recently. Chances were being created and Onuachu gave us hope, fifteen minutes from time when he halved the deficit. However, the fault lies with Juric for his team selection and bad tactics.

Is there any hope of going down with dignity?

We remain 18 points from safety with only nine games to play. The only solace right now is we have a fortnight off from this mess.

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

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Southampton and Wolves.

Here are some of your comments:

Southampton news

Martin: A broken manager inherited a broken club with broken-spirited players, then starts a winnable game with three full-backs and no strikers, then takes off the most creative player on the pitch at half time. How was it going to end any differently?

Ryan: Far too easy to play through. Wolves didn't really have to turn up to walk away with the three points and that's what hurts the most. Really hard to see where the next points will come from.

Mike: Started well but conceded two soft goals. No presence in the box and sloppy defending again. 'Not fit to wear the shirt' was the home fans' chant and how many of this lot will still be at St Mary's in the Championship?

Glenn: Absolutely horrible. This was our last chance to get over 11 points. We need to clear the squad and spend two seasons in the Championship rebuilding confidence, team spirit and relationship between the club and supporters.

Wolves fans

George: Wolves played a good game up to their second goal. They then became wasteful in attack and somewhat jittery in defence. From the moment the Saints scored their goal, victory was precarious.

Nathan: Southampton played better but couldn't win. Wolves played poorly and did win! An ugly win but it's all about points and staying up so a good day. One step closer to Premier League survival!

Nick: Great result from the lads but we made it hard for ourselves in the end. That nine point gap is massive. Cunha back in soon so surely we will stay up now.

Ken: Salvaged the season with this win, and did it without Cunha. Safe now but how about some more ambition for the future with some money to spend without selling our best players for a change.

Chris Wise
Final Score reporter at St Mary's Stadium

It is such a sorry state of affairs at Southampton.

In many ways, this impending relegation is going to be far worse than when they exited the Premier League two seasons ago.

And it is not just because there is that growing prospect of Saints ending with a record low points tally.

The squad had the likes of James Ward-Prowse in it two years ago. Someone who had a long-lasting affiliation with the team and was a natural leader. This current team appears to be lacking the same sort of characters.

There are some that should be exempt from criticism. Matheus Fernandes has been one of the standout performers. Ivan Juric took him off at half-time against Wolves, and the negative response from the Southampton fans was audible. It summed up the situation.

There is a growing disconnect between the supporters and the club, and that's something Saints need to address this summer. But clearly, it is one of many problems.

The latest episode of BBC Radio Solent's Goin' Home With Adam And Jo podcast is available.

Adam Blackmore and former Saints midfielder Jo Tessem discuss the future of Ivan Juric after a ninth consecutive home defeat against Wolves.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Highlights and analysis from Saturday's five Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Ipswich 2-4 Nottingham Forest

• Bournemouth 1-2 Brentford