Southampton

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Right now, brinkmanship is the name of the game. There have been times when some clubs sorted their transfer business early in the window and everyone wondered why so few others followed their lead. Put simply, it isn't in the selling clubs' financial interest, and it usually isn't in the moving player's financial interest either, to go early.

A selling club wants a bidding war to up the price and they don't mind a bit of panic buying when the window is creaking ever nearer the sill. If you still haven't signed that star player who you think, hope or maybe even actually believe, will make all the difference, clubs can get twitchy and make rash costly decisions.

I have watched it happen from within. Good intentions and a willingness to stick to a pre-arranged budget, suddenly evaporates when clubs are bounced into making these calls. There is also a bit of pride in there too. "We aren't losing out on our first choice to that lot!" is a common refrain, especially when it's to one of your close rivals.

As for the moving player, or more specifically his agent, last-minute brinkmanship is the dream scenario. Playing two or three suitors off against each other (and you don't even have to tell the truth of what you are being offered elsewhere) means you can exaggerate as much as you like to up the ante.

So that is why the deals go to the wire, and why they are so lucrative. It is also why I never have too much sympathy for a player, when a huge deal falls through at the last moment. Greed can push it too far in the end and it can all come crashing down, which is why they call it brinkmanship! If you dance on the edge of a volcano you might just fall in.

Image source, Getty Images

A quarter of the managers in the Premier League will be taking charge of an English top-flight game for the first time on the opening weekend of the season.

They are Arne Slot at Liverpool, Enzo Maresca at Chelsea, Russell Martin at Southampton, Kieran McKenna at Ipswich and Fabian Hurzeler at Brighton.

So, what can you expect from the quintet?

Slot led Feyenoord to the 2022-23 Eredivisie title, and the Dutch Cup last season. Reds midfielder Harvey Elliott says his playing philosophy is a typically "elegant" Dutch style - compared to Jurgen Klopp's 'heavy metal football'.

Maresca prefers a heavy possession-based style - which is how he has started his reign at Chelsea too - and was sometimes criticised for his reluctance to make substitutions while at Leicester City.

It is possession-based football that Martin has brought to Southampton too but fans and local media have warned he will need to be smarter with style this season.

McKenna is considered one of the top managerial prospects around. His expansive brand of football saw Ipswich gain promotion with successive second-placed finishes, scoring 101 goals in League One and 92 in the Championship.

Hurzeler, who joined Brighton from German second-tier side St Pauli, is the least known name in England of the managers on this list. He is known for his passionate side line antics and his teams dominating games on the ball.

Read more on what each manager has to offer here

Southampton have received an offer from Hoffenheim for 22-year-old defender Armel Bella-Kotchap. The Saints have already rejected an £8.6m offer from Stuttgart. (Sky Germany), external

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

We asked for your views on the new Southampton third kit for the 2024-25 season.

Here are some of your comments:

Ben: I honestly didn't think I would like it, but much like a Taylor Swift song, I cannot help but find myself enjoying it. Sponsor suits this kit better too.

Sean: Absolutely shocking... got to be up there with the worst kits ever released and no I will not be purchasing this kit.

Bidsy: Love this! Will be getting this one for sure.

Mike: Hope they don't need to wear it!

Chris: Not something I’d wear personally, and I wouldn’t expect it to sell by the bucket load. However, Saints fans generally want red and white stripes for home, and yellow for away. We’ve got that, so we need a high contrast option. I’d expect to see us play in this against Newcastle on the first day of the season.

Sam: Absolutely diabolical. No history, nothing. Almost need sunglasses to see it.

Paul: It’s the best of the three by a country mile. It reminds me of the 80s fashion which was great! Well done Saints and Puma for being so ambitious in their colour choice.

Image source, Matt Gordon

Southampton have unveiled their third kit for the 2024-25 season.

"Just like the home and away kit, the striking new third kit follows the dazzle concept for inspiration as the concept has been used on the collar and sleeves, contrasting neon pink with white," the club said in a statement

What do you make of the kit, Saints fans? Will you be buying?

Let us know your thoughts on the kit here, external

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton forward Adam Armstrong has been nominated for PFA Championship Player of the Year.

Armstrong finished the 2023-24 season with 24 goals and 13 assists, including the all-important winner against Leeds United to secure promotion.

He is nominated alongside Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Leif Davis, Georginio Rutter, Crysencio Summerville and Sammie Szmodics.

The winner will be announced at the PFA Awards on Tuesday 20 August.

Image source, Getty Images

Eight years on from his "whole world crashing down" when he was released by Arsenal as an 18-year-old, Nathan Tella will return to his boyhood club for a pre-season friendly on Wednesday as a league champion.

Tella scored five goals in 25 Bundesliga appearances last season as Bayer Leverkusen shocked the footballing world by going unbeaten to claim their first ever league title.

His route back to the top has been complicated by a serious knee injury and unsuccessful trials at Reading and Norwich, before finding a home at Southampton and playing in the Premier League.

"I think obviously at Southampton, I hadn't really played much in the Premier League and for me that was a nice feeling to play at the Emirates in front of the Southampton fans and obviously the Arsenal fans and, more importantly, my family, because they've been with me the whole journey," said Tella.

"But I think now, especially going back to the Emirates as a champion, as an invincible as well, it's a great feeling, and it's an amazing feeling."

It will be a reflective occasion however for Tella - whose £25m move to Leverkusen from Southampton last summer raised some eyebrows - because of the impact his exit from Arsenal had on him as a young player.

"The day that happened, when I got released, my whole world just came crashing down," he added.

"That was probably the first time in my life I'd ever been rejected from something in a sense.

"I'd worked so hard to get to the level I am and technically it's the last step before you think of yourself as a professional footballer for Arsenal. I might say I was this close to doing it, or this close to doing it. I was one step away from ultimately fulfilling my dream for the club I support."

We asked for your thoughts after Southampton's 1-0 pre-season friendly win over Millwall.

Here are some of your comments:

Luke: I think there has been a really strong improvement since Oxford and it was a much better performance by us. Yukinari Sugawara played really well and I think he is a really good signing for us. We definitely need a stronger midfield though. However, overall it was a solid match.

Mel: A good win, but not good enough for the Premier League. I’m still worried for our chances against stronger teams week-in-week-out in the higher league. Hope I’m wrong.

Daz: Not exactly a convincing win. I think we will struggle against the top teams in the Premier League though as scoring the odd goal here and there is no good. Saints have never been a high-scoring side, so hopefully our new striker can score two or three per game. Optimistic I know but no harm in wishing or dreaming.

Laurie: The thing with pre-season friendlies is that it gives the manager and the teams the opportunity to try different tactics, or to at least form a safe Plan B. The real stuff will start soon and the first six games are vital for a teams' psychology. A home defeat on the first game often blows the cobwebs out.

Shaun: If we play like that this season then we will be relegated by Christmas. On the pitch, it looked like we were playing 3-5-2 but Armstrong and Edozie kept pulling out too wide and we have no presence in the centre.

Southampton are hopeful they will be able to keep defender Kyle Walker-Peters at the club this summer after West Ham pulled out of talks to sign him. (Football Insider), external

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

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton boss Russell Martin speaking to BBC Radio Solent after beating Millwall in Saturday's pre-season friendly: "It was a different team to Wednesday [against Oxford United]. We are still trying, testing and tweaking a few things in regards to the formation that we want to play. But I am really happy with the players.

"We are working on a lot of things and hoping a few more moves [transfers in] will be pulled off."

On new signing Ben Brereton Diaz: "He has been great. I like a lot of what I have seen already from him. He is a bit behind the others in terms of preparation as he had time off for Copa America, but he is going to help us a lot. He and Adam Armstrong are really fluid and flexible in their position. That is integral for helping the team to score goals."

Image source, Getty Images

Adam Armstrong scored the only goal as Southampton beat Millwall 1-0 in their final away match of pre-season.

What did you think of that performance, Saints fans?

Are you feeling optimistic going into the new season?

Let us know your thoughts here, external

The Premier League season is fast approaching and clubs are continuing their pre-season preparations.

Here's a look at where teams are in action on a busy Saturday.

Joe Bradshaw
BBC Sport Senior Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

When Blackburn Rovers were promoted to the Championship in 2018, they splashed £7m on raw Nottingham Forest youngster Ben Brereton.

He would partner another permanent signing that summer, Adam Armstrong, who had scored nine goals in 21 games on loan in League One the previous year.

Armstrong took a season to adapt and then exploded, earning his big move to St Mary’s by scoring buckets of goals as Brereton looked on.

His new strike partner however struggled to adapt to the physicality of first-team football. Big but cumbersome, direct but wayward, Brereton spent two seasons in Armstrong's shadow, flitting in and out of the side.

When he finally locked down a place, it was with a firm remit to stick on the left, stretch defences on the counter and cut the ball back for Armstrong to finish - a job he managed with some success but rarely with any goal threat of his own.

It wasn’t until Armstrong left in the summer Brereton took on Chilean nationality and his mother’s surname Diaz, that the former England schoolboy found his feet.

Twenty two goals were plundered in 2021-22 as Brereton Diaz, now firmly a fan favourite, bullied Championship defences and started the season like a bullet.

However, he tired after Christmas that season scoring just twice in 14 games. It was a similar pattern the next season as, amid speculation about his future, he got off to a hot start before slumping to three goals in 22 games.

When confident, Brereton Diaz can be unstoppable – when off form, he’s a toiling left winger that rarely threatens.

Perhaps that’s why his breakthrough move to Villarreal failed miserably last season. Yet six goals on loan at a doomed Sheffield United at least hinted at an ability to thrive in the top flight.

He's a likeable character with a tremendous work ethic and a recent track record of goals. In many ways, just like Armstrong.

Can the two find their form together at Southampton? Brereton Diaz was only an accessory to Armstrong’s best form at Blackburn but Russell Martin will need to get the maximum out of both.

Whether he can achieve that may dictate how Saints fare this season.

We asked for your thoughts after Wednesday's friendly between Oxford United and Southampton.

Here are some of your comments:

Darren: Absolutely diabolical. If we can't beat Oxford, we've got no hope in the Premier League.

Gary: Russell Martin was trying out players in a competitive game and seeing how well they perform together. Some aren't good enough for the Premier League. The result doesn't matter. Just move on to the next game.

Mark: Although the manager is not happy with the first half, I think the trip to Spain for training with two hard games in high temperatures was maybe a reason for lack of intensity against Oxford. Just an off day.

David: We are desperately in need of a keeper who is comfortable on the ball, can actually play football with a range of accurate distribution and can cover his near post!

Matt: Although some of the signings we've made are positive, we are still very light in some areas. A lack of experience and leadership on the pitch is clearly a problem. A strong spine is needed and we will be terribly exposed at times. Our defence wasn't the best in the Championship so imagine it up against some of the best in the world.

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton boss Russell Martin says his team "have a lot to work on" after a limp pre-season defeat at newly promoted Championship side Oxford United.

Saints were 2-0 down by half-time at Kassam Stadium and could not mount a serious response after the break despite Martin making seven substitutions.

"We lacked personality, character and energy for 45 minutes," he told club media after the defeat. "We lacked intensity and that's a problem.

"It's a problem whether it's pre-season, whether it's a game in the Premier League or in the Championship so I'm disappointed by that.

"We have a lot to work on."

It was Southampton's first defeat of pre-season and Martin's side have meetings with Millwall, Lazio and Getafe before opening their Premier League season away to Newcastle on Saturday, 17 August.

"A lot of good stuff has just been overshadowed," he added. "It felt like a pre-season game and I don't like that feeling."

Image source, PA Media

Two goals late in the first half from Oxford United handed Southampton their first defeat of their pre-season campaign.

So Saints fans, what does Russell Martin need to focus on before the start of the season?

Let us know your thoughts here, external

Image source, Getty Images

Daily Echo reporter George Rees-Julian says Ben Brereton Diaz is the "closest Southampton can get" to a proven Premier League striker within their budget.

Brereton Diaz scored six times in 14 appearances on loan at Sheffield United in the second half of last season.

"I think he's a really good get," Rees-Julian told the BBC's Saints and Sinners podcast.

"We knew they were in the market for a striker when it became clear Che Adams wasn't going to stay. They were in for Liam Delap but he went to Ipswich instead and they were going to pay around £15-20m for him.

"They've managed to get Ben Brereton Diaz instead for half the price of that. They have got a more experienced player who has played in the Premier League before.

"There's a lot of positives in that. Yes, Delap's younger and has more potential, but Diaz is still only 25. If you look at the profile of player he is, he's 6ft 1in, he's decent enough in the air, he can run in behind.

"When you have centre-backs like Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Ronnie Edwards they are going to be able to play the ball over the top for him to race through.

"He also likes to play out on the left and drifts in to meet some crosses to score goals or just smashes them in or runs through on goal.

"With the fact Adam Armstrong likes to drift in from the right and you've got Brereton Diaz who can do that from the left and they've done it before together at Blackburn - I think that's a really good partnership going into the season.

"Saints aren't really in the position where they can go out and get a really experienced Premier League striker so Brereton Diaz for £7m is the closest Saints can get to that within the budget. I think he's a really good get."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

We asked for your views on which positions Southampton still need to strengthen before the start of the season, after the Saints confirmed the signing of forward Ben Brereton Diaz.

Here are some of your thoughts:

Malcolm: I think we have done well with the players we have brought in so far. All we need now is a proven Premier League goalkeeper. Aaron Ramsdale would be ideal, even on a season-long loan, as he would be good cover for Gavin Bazunu. Other than that, a technical and tricky midfielder to replace Stuart Armstrong would be a useful addition. I think squad depth will be key.

Laurie: My first concern would be defensively, especially if Southampton sustain one or two injuries. The midfield is forming but one more attacking midfielder is always good to refresh ideas. There is a need striker-wise because many were played out of position at times - Kamaldeen Sulemana is a good example of this.

James: The squad is coming together nicely but a quality goalkeeper is needed with Bazunu still out. Also, attacking midfielders such as Ryan Fraser and/or David Brooks would be welcome to help create and convert chances.

Nick: Matt O'Riley and Aaron Ramsdale on loan would be a perfect, if very aspirational, end to the transfer window. I'm a bit worried about having cover for Flynn Downes if he gets injured, but I think that we will make do on that front.

Mark: Saints need a 20-goal-a-season striker, but they don't come cheap (enough). I'm hoping that Adam Armstrong can carry his form forward, but otherwise we are still looking a little bit toothless in attack. I'm just worried that we won't have enough to unlock Premier League defences.

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Image source, Getty Images

Players like Manchester United’s Rasmus Hojlund are already suffering from hamstring injuries two weeks before the season even starts - and they say the modern preparation regimes are better, safer and more scientific!

They probably are better. At least the players do not have to go through some of the borderline sadistic routines that previous generations did. Back then, after a decent length of summer break, pre-season meant working incredibly hard over a short period of time to get yourself back in top condition fast.

Sprinting up and down gigantic sand dunes against the clock until many players were physically sick was de rigueur, alongside other road runs and track work.

Here is the weird part: I used to look forward to that, the way a class swot looks forward to exams. Being smaller, lighter and a committed long-distance runner all my young life, even before I became a pro footballer, it was, if not exactly a piece of cake, then certainly much easier for me than most of the rest of the team.

I have asked many modern managers what they would prefer to do in a perfect world during their pre-season. The most common answer is "just about anything other than what we are forced to do now!"

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