Premier League 14/15: Team By Team Preview And Predictions

10. Southampton

Last Season: 8th Manager: Ronald Koeman Opening Fixture: Liverpool (a) Transfer Activity: Where do you start with Southampton's transfer activity this summer? Obviously, the main talking point is the fact that most of the club's most important players have left, including the likes of Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert, Luke Shaw, Dejan Lovren and Callum Chambers. Add to that the departures of Dani Osvaldo, Guly Do Prado, Jonathan Forte, Danny Fox, Lee Barnard and Andy Robinson, and the Saints' squad is looking pretty threadbare, especially when you consider that Morgan Schneiderlin has handed in a transfer request and could yet leave the club. New manager Ronaldo Koeman, who joined following the departure of Mauricio Pochettino to Tottenham, has signed just four players to replace those lost so far, Graziono Pelle (Feyenoord) who was the second-top scorer in Holland last season with 23 goals, midfielders Dusan Tadic (Twente) and Saphir Taider (Inter Milan), and Ryan Bertrand (Chelsea) on a season-long loan. Possible Starting XI: Boruc; Clyne, Fonte, Yoshida, Bertrand; Cork, Wanyama, Tadic; Davis, Rodriguez; Pelle Key Player: Jack Cork Verdict: It would be easy to dismiss Southampton as relegation candidates this season after selling so many players, but they still have some excellent footballers in the squad including Nathaniel Clyne, Jose Fonte, Jay Rodriguez and Jack Cork, although even they have been linked with moves to other clubs! Crucially though, Ronaldo Koeman is an excellent manager who has the capability to replace anyone who leaves with another quality player, but he must continue the good work done by Pochettino last season in terms of the fluid, high pressing style of football which he adopted at the club. If Koeman does that, Southampton should be able to push for the top half of the league once again, even if they do lose the likes of Morgan Schneiderlin, although it will be difficult to emulate the 8th position they achieved last campaign. Prediction: 10th