Southampton news: Opinion – Saints were ‘unprepared’ and ‘ill-equipped’ for Premier League

Ten months on from our triumph at Wembley and we are right back where we started – back in the Championship and facing another season of uncertainty with Sport Republic.

A 3-1 defeat at Tottenham confirmed our fate and now we have become the earliest side to be relegated – Derby and Huddersfield had six games remaining.

And there are still more unwanted records up for grabs. Will we catch that 11-point total from Derby in 2007-08? Only one point needed to tie that, with seven games to play.

As we face another season in the Championship, we have to look back over the work that Sport Republic have completed. Since taking charge in January 2022, they have managed 60 defeats in 88 Premier League matches, 54 points from a possible 264, gone through six managers and most crucially, two relegations on their list of achievements.

They provided us with a team that was totally unprepared and ill-equipped for the top flight. The recruitment has been a disaster and they find themselves with a number of tasks ahead of them leading into next season.

Hiring a new, experienced manager for the Championship is a priority. Danny Rohl or Liam Rosenior are two names that will go some way to earning the fans’ trust back.

Keeping hold of our most valued assets is another huge assignment. Aaron Ramsdale and Taylor Harwood-Bellis have both been included in England squads this season. Arguably our best player this season, Mateus Fernandes, will have put himself in the window. A big profit will be needed. Tyler Dibling, of course, has already been linked with a number of clubs.

But do we trust Sport Republic to get things right? If their previous form is to go by, then it is a wholehearted “no” from me.

Find more from Ray Hunt at the In that Number podcast