Southampton season preview

Southampton finished eighth in the Premier League last season. With a new manager at the helm, what can the Saints expect in 2017-18?

INS: Jan Bednarek (£5.10 million, Lech Poznan)

OUTS: Jay Rodriguez (£11.65 million, West Brom), Cuco Martina (free, Everton), Lloyd Isgrove (free, Barnsley), Harrison Reed (loan, Norwich), Martin Caceres (free)

THE STORY: Southampton are set to play under their fifth different manager since arriving back in the Premier League in 2012. Mauricio Pellegrino is the man taking charge after players railed against the pragmatic style of predecessor Claude Puel.

While Puel may have been pragmatic, he was also effective. The Saints finished eight under his watch, while also earning a trip to the EFL Cup final, where they were unlucky to lose against Manchester United.

Finishing between sixth and 10th has become the norm for Southampton, no matter who’s in charge. Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman both garnered the attention of bigger clubs with their work on the south coast.

The question is: are the Saints’ solid finishes a product of choosing the right managers, or do they owe more to how the well the club is structured, both financially and at the academy level?

Pellegrino may prove the answer is yes to both. The Argentinian arrives after some creditable work with Alaves in La Liga, where he guided the Basque club to a Copa del Rey final.

A cerebral central defender for Barcelona, Valencia and Liverpool, Pellegrino’s primary focus this summer has been the future of Saints’ center-back Virgil van Dijk.

Southampton’s best defender has consistently been linked with a move away. Top-four trio Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City have all been credited with interest.

As speculation has mounted, van Dijk was even ordered to miss the Saints’ pre-season tour of France, and was left to train by himself after telling Pellegrino he wants to move on, per Hamish Mackay of the Daily Mirror.

Keeping van Dijk would obviously be a huge boost for Pellegrino, a manager who likes to flip between a back three and four. Netherlands international Van Dijk is arguably the most complete central defender in England’s top flight, aggressive in the air, quick on the deck and comfortable on the ball.

However, it’s telling Pellegrino’s only summer signing to date has been Lech Poznan center-back Jan Bednarek. The Pole could be van Dijk’s replacement and the new partner for the promising Jack Stephens.

Speaking of promise, Pellegrino has inherited plenty of talent away from the question marks at the heart of defence. Full-backs Cedric Soares and Ryan Bertrand are both excellent, while goalkeeper Fraser Forster is a formidable presence between the sticks.

The Saints also boast a terrific midfield featuring tenacious and intelligent duo Oriol Romeu and Jordy Clasie. James Ward-Prowse is deadly from set-pieces, while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Steven Davis offer quality depth.

Further forward, Dusan Tadic is a schemer worth the price of admission when at his best. The Serb can play anywhere along the front and brings a mercurial brand of flair to the final third.

Tadic’s supply will be vital for the pace of wide forward Nathan Redmond and striker Manolo Gabbiadini. The latter made a terrific start to his Saints career after arriving in January, but tailed off toward the end of last season.

Gabbiadini and Co. will be helped if Pellegrino can coax more from club-record signing Sofiane Boufal. The 23-year-old flattered to deceive after arriving last summer in a deal worth £16 million.

There’s no doubt Boufal has talent, specifically the pace and trickery to be a major threat from the flanks. If he delivers this season, Southampton will be a force in attacking areas against anybody.

Pellegrino has the players to play a fast, free-flowing and fluid game up top. However, if he wants to go more direct, he can call on target man Charlie Austin and the tireless running of Shane Long.

Such versatility and depth is one reason the Saints have punched above their weight in cup competitions during recent seasons.

KEY PLAYERS: Whatever ideas Pellegrino has, Romeu will surely be the one to underpin them. The former Barcelona and Chelsea player has emerged as one of the more complete holding midfielders in the league.

A terrific tackler, Romeu times his challenges well and is always well-placed to steal possession. As expected from a one-time member of Barca’s famed La Masia youth academy, the 25-year-old is comfortable with the ball at his feet, passing neatly and efficiently between the lines.

Keeping Romeu to shield the defense and provide security at the base of midfield rates as a minor coup for Southampton this summer. He will be vital in helping Pellegrino establish the right balance between pragmatism and poetry in the way the Saints play.

While Romeu will do the unfashionable things, the flourishes will come from the talented feet of Tadic. Like Romeu, Tadic is another player Southampton have done well to keep, especially since the skilled attacker was linked with Liverpool in mid-June, per Jack Austin of The Independent.

Keeping Tadic ensures the Saints have a playmaker Pellegrino can build a possession-based style around. The versatile artisan is a source of creativity from the flanks and central areas.

It would be interesting to see Pellegrino play the 28-year-old in the middle more often this season. The move would give greater license to Tadic’s vision and technical acumen, evidenced by the three goals and five assists he contributed in 2016-17, per WhoScored.com.

Next: Ranking every Premier League season

THE MANAGER: Expectation could well be the enemy for Pellegrino. Repeating last season’s eighth-placed finish would be viewed by many as a success, since it would mean the Saints are still punching above their apparent weight in the Premier League.

However, those inside the club may feel another finish outside the European places is merely maintaining the status quo. Not only does Pellegrino need to avoid standing pat, he’s also tasked with bringing style and swagger back to the way the Saints play, following the functional fare common under Puel.

His former skipper at Alaves, Manu Garcia, has waxed lyrical about the fluid way Pellegrino approaches tactics, per Sid Lowe of the Guardian:

"He sees the game very well. He is a strategist, he analyses opponents closely and he believes in juego posicional [a positional game]. He has a lot of faith in that approach, in defence but also in attack: respect the positions, a well-ordered team, everything under control. He likes his team to express the way he is: intelligent, understanding, ordered. He works hard during the week and the things he plans for usually happen at the weekend."

He has the players to play the type of game he wants, but progress under Pellegrino will only be measured in a higher league finish.

BEST CASE: Pellegrino’s fresh ideas work wonders for a gifted squad, and the Saints usurp big-spending Everton as the main threat to the top six.

WORST CASE: Years of ticking along come to an end, as one change too many in the dugout sees the Saints lose their comfortable billet within the top 10.