Southampton have been relegated from the Premier League after a spell that lasted a decade in the top flight. Following their promotion in 2012/13, they became a regular top ten side under Mauricio Pochettino, while Ronald Koeman led them to a club record sixth placed finish.
They made the Carabao Cup final in 2017, but were defeated by Manchester United. And on the back of a very disappointing season, their time in the top flight has come to an end. The 2-0 loss against Fulham at home sealed relegation to the Championship for the Saints.
Southampton officially relegated to the Championship
Club captain James Ward-Prowse told BBC Final Score: “We need to go away individually and as a club and assess if we’ve done everything we possibly could. I don’t think we have and that is a shame. I think as a team and a club overall we’ll think about the season that has gone by. Have decisions been right? Have we done everything we could on a pitch?
“I think we should perform at a better level than we have done. From the first day of the season until now you can tell the standards have slipped.”
Several key players like Ward-Prowse and Romeo Lavia could leave the club now that they have been relegated. The board also needs to decide who the new manager is going to be, and whether Ruben Selles will be in charge next season. Ralph Hassenhuttl and Nathan Jones both struggled to get results for Southampton this season, and Selles has been unable to turn things around either.
The battle for relegation has been extremely competitive this season, with Leicester, Leeds, Nottingham Forest and Everton closely involved in a scramble to avoid the drop. Southampton have become the first to be confirmed, and appear to be set for a finish at the bottom of the table.
