Mark Hughes looks to right the wrongs of seasons past at Southampton

Mark Hughes has a task ahead of him to improve on Southampton’s disastrous Premier League campaign of last season.

Southampton are in a perennial state of rebuilding. Since returning to the top flight in 2012, the club have faced a constant challenge to retain and replace players and managers as domestic rivals constantly lure away their most prized assets. The talent drain has been unrelenting and has seen Southampton labelled with the unwanted tag of being a feeder team for clubs such as Liverpool and Tottenham.

Despite the obvious challenges facing them, Southampton had become a fixture in the top of half of the table in recent seasons and even reached the final of the EFL Cup in 2017. Then-manager Claude Puel, who also oversaw an eighth-place finish in the league, was rewarded for his efforts with an unceremonious sacking. Mauricio Pellegrino was brought in as his replacement but the Argentine’s arrival marked the start of a disastrous campaign which saw the club lose former captain Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool and end the season just three points above the relegation zone.

After just four wins in 28 matches, Pellegrino joined Puel in the discard pile and was replaced by former Southampton player Mark Hughes, was brought in on a temporary basis to steer the club to safety. Three wins and two draws in the club’s final 10 fixtures were enough to secure their Premier League status and earned Hughes a permanent job at St. Mary’s.

The Welsh manager is now faced with a fresh set of challenges, least of which is to re-brand and redeem himself following his sacking by since-relegated Stoke mid-way through last season. Hughes had managed the Potters to a respectable finish in each of his previous seasons with the club but his tendency to play negative football drew many critics and ultimately contributed to the club’s relegation.

Southampton have historically played an attractive brand of soccer, but they may well benefit from a bit of Hughes’ tempered approach. The Welshman has already set about molding his side in the market with a clear aim to get rid of the flashier players and rebuild the club’s dilapidated spine.

Goalkeeper Angus Gunn has been brought in from Manchester City after Fraser Forster and Alex McCarthy failed to deliver last season and is joined in defense by Danish center-back Jannik Vestergaard. The 25-year old signed from Borussia Monchengladbach and is a towering defender who will serve as the direct replacement for the departed van Dijk. His arrival will provide Wesley Hoedt with a much needed partner and the duo will look to shore up a defensive line which leaked 56 league goals last season. Stuart Armstrong has also joined from Celtic following an impressive season in the Scottish Premiership.

Hughes’ approach in the market seems to be far more considered than that of his predecessors, which resulted in the arrival of big-money signings such as Guido Carillo, Sofiane Boufal and Jordy Clasie. The trio have all already been shipped out on loan to various clubs along with the permanent departure of Dusan Tadic, who has returned to the Netherlands.

Tadic was an important player for Southampton over the past four seasons but the blow of his departure will be felt little if at all following the arrival of Mohamed Elyounoussi from Basel. The 23-year-old Norwegian is an exciting player and should bring an immediate improvement to the club’s attacking output. Southampton were one of only seven club’s to score less than a goal per game last season as many of the club’s attack-minded players, including Tadic, failed to perform.

The nature of Hughes’ appointment as permanent Southampton manager and his business since is strikingly similar to that of his first club role at Blackburn nearly 14 years ago. There he took over a Blackburn side which had similarly failed to build on their impressive successes of previous seasons and led them to top 10 finishes in each of his three full campaigns. Rovers’ drastic change in fortunes was directly attributed to the signings Hughes made during his tenure, with defensive newcomers Aaron Mokoena, Ryan Nelsen and Christopher Samba complimented by the attacking arrivals of Benni McCarthy and Roque Santa Cruz.

There were, of course, some less inspiring signings along the way but Hughes has sought to achieve the same level of  balance at Southampton as his did at Blackburn with his current recruits. He has improved key areas with quality players rather than plugging holes with quantity. Southampton could benefit from a few more signings if they are to follow in the same mold, particularly in attack, but given their current financial position they would need to sell players before anyone else can be signed.

Nonetheless, the club head into the upcoming season in a much better position than last and should be strong enough to improve on their league position. A return to the top half of the table  may be a stretch given the nature of competition in the Premier League but Southampton shouldn’t face the threat of relegation again. Fans of the club should just hope they get the Mark Hughes of Blackburn and not the one of Stoke