Southampton

Ray Hunt
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

The 29th defeat of an awful season, and just one more game left to spare us any more misery. We were hardly likely to be party poopers were we?

A 2-0 loss to Everton in the final game at Goodison Park after 133 years went like a dream for the locals.

It was always going to be an emotional day, and going down inside six minutes was effectively curtains. The opening 45 minutes would only get worse. Iliman Ndiaye doubled his and the hosts' lead in first-half injury time.

Things did pick up slightly. Opting not to start with a natural striker, Simon Rusk made his changes with Ross Stewart and Cameron Archer entering the fray after 60 minutes, and both registered a shot each on target. The only two of the game. Stewart certainly has something to prove over the rest of the starters.

Rusk defended his decision not to start with a natural front man, stating: "It is easy in hindsight. It's the same team as we played against Man City in many respects."

It's yet another result that hits hard, as we've seen no improvement at a consistent level. The resilient defending against Manchester City deserted them early, and they were never able to recover. With the dreaded 11-point target reached, you felt as if the team would never have it in them to come from behind. Especially with a raucous Goodison atmosphere.

If playing for pride has gone, then what is left?

We are ahead of Derby's point total. We're ahead on goals scored, but are tied with 29 defeats. A final day loss would see another unwanted record. Another is goals conceded. We currently sit on 84 while Derby finished with 89 goals against. Yes, it's really come to this. Let's take all the positives we have left.

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Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl is a contender for the Southampton job - along with Will Still, who recently left Lens. (Sky Sports, external)

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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We asked for your views on Southampton's performance against Everton.

Here are some of your comments:

Russell: Until the subs came on that performance was shameful. I feel as bad as you could possibly feel about my football club at the moment. The whole club is so broken. No desire to get forward, no effort, no passion, just backwards and sideways passes - mostly all in our own half. The whole performance and this team is totally gutless. I'm ashamed of what my football club has become this season.

Aaron: Saints away at Goodison Park was going to be a foregone conclusion. As a Saint, I'm happy that Everton left on a high. As a Saint, we go on next year in the Championship. COYR.

Alex: Redefining "pathetic", week by week.

Emil: Go 1-0 down with no goalscorer in the XI. Takes Rusk nearly 60 minutes to react/change. The only positive to take is that like with the previous four incompetent managers, he will soon be gone!

Charles: I was very, very disappointed with Saints. No shape, no guts and did I notice for sale signs on the backs of Saints' players shirts? I doubt if they will get any offers. No get up and go, no interest. For the last game of the season, they should play the under-21 team and the directors should declare that the last game of the season be free of charge to all season ticket-holders.

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English coach Will Still has left his role at French side RC Lens and is now linked to the vacant managerial job at Southampton.

BBC Radio Solent's Adam Blackmore spoke to the Goin' Home with Adam and Jo podcast about his concerns with the 32 year-old, stating: "This is another risk. It might be a great young manager, he has done well for a young man, but the Championship is a beast.

"He has not managed there before and he did not play at a high level. He started on Football Manager, became an analyst and has done well from there, but I think it is easier to do it at a lower level in football or in different leagues.

"Still would be another young and progressive appointment - but what is he going to do when things are going wrong at Blackburn on a Tuesday night? How is he going to react when players don't agree with him? He hasn't played or managed at a level that tells us he can cope at a big club like Southampton in the pressures of the Championship.

"I don't think the club need to gamble on another 'trendy' appointment. If he does get appointed, I do believe he will adapt his game, but it is a risk."

Listen to the full discussion on Still

Highlights and analysis from Sunday's five Premier League fixtures, plus the best of the action from the rest of the weekend.

If you missed Match of the Day 2, catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

And you can watch Saturday's Match of the Day here.

Listen back to the weekend's full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

Saturday 17th May

FA Cup final: Crystal Palace 1-0 Manchester City - 5 LIVE

Sunday 18th May

West Ham 1-2 Nottingham Forest - 5 LIVE

Brentford 2-3 Fulham – SPORTS EXTRA 2

Arsenal 1-0 Newcastle - 5 LIVE

English manager Will Still, 32, is in talks to become Southampton boss after leaving French club Lens. (Independent), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

The latest episode of the Goin' Home With Adam And Jo podcast has landed.

BBC Radio Solent's Adam Blackmore is joined by former Saints player Jo Tessem to discuss Sunday's defeat against Everton and the emerging managerial links to Will Still.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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Simon Rusk spoke to BBC Sport after Southampton's defeat against Everton: "Difficult first half for us. We knew it would be an emotional game. We didn't get to the level we'd have hoped in the first half but I was encouraged by the second-half display.

"We have to dust ourselves down and get ready for the last game. There are plenty of positives to take.

"I'm a football fan in general, I understand that it [Everton] is a club with a lot of history. The supporters will have a lot of personal memories. I'm sure they'll enjoy the celebration."

Were you at the game today or following from elsewhere?

Everton fans, sum up how you are feeling about Goodison's last dance

Have your say on Southampton's performance here

Five matches make up Sunday's Premier League action and BBC Sport will bring you every kick.

• Everton v Southampton (12:00) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• West Ham v Nottingham Forest (14:15)

• Brentford v Fulham - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Leicester v Ipswich

• Arsenal v Newcastle (16:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

As you all know, it's not often I'm wrong about anything but you may remember me saying in a previous predictions article that I thought I held the record for the fastest senior goal at Goodison Park for my effort after 12.94 seconds with Blackburn in 1995, until Abdoulaye Doucoure scored after 10.18 seconds for Everton against Leicester in February.

It turns out the fastest goal before Doucoure was actually by Bournemouth's Colin Clarke, after 11 seconds in a League Cup tie in 1985, but I still hold the record for the fastest away goal there in a men's league game and no-one is taking that away from me because I don't think Southampton will score at all on Sunday.

Saints will probably be too exhausted from their celebrations after last week's draw with Manchester City to ruin the party as Everton's men's team play their last game at Goodison after 133 years.

I have not got a problem with the Southampton fans celebrating reaching 12 points and avoiding equalling Derby's record for the worst Premier League points tally because they have had to endure an awful season, but it is absolute amateur hour from their players to react the way they did afterwards.

People will say it was down to emotion but how low is your bar if you see that as an achievement? The team should have thanked the supporters, and cleared off down the tunnel.

Everton got taken apart in the first half by Fulham last time out, but were much better in the second half and went to win 3-1 at Craven Cottage.

It would be typical for them to mess up on their big day, but they won't. I fancy Beto to get a goal, and the Toffees to sign off with a win.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Alex Fletcher
BBC Sport journalist

Southampton interim boss Simon Rusk has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Everton (kick-off 12:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Rusk admitted there is a "decision to be made" on the fitness of Kyle Walker-Peters after he missed last weekend's draw against Manchester City through illness.

• He added: "Other than that we've got generally got a fit squad to choose from."

• When asked if he will change his side after last weekend's result he said: "The guys who came in last week gave a great account of themselves and played a part in a wonderful result. Ultimately I'll pick the best team for the job on the day."

• On the importance of pushing the players in the final two games: "Last week we were fighting to finish the season as strong as possible and in terms of our process going in to these games there is no change. We also know, we mentioned the quality of the Premier League, and I don't think you can go in to this game with a mindset other than trying to be your best."

• On playing in the last game at Goodison Park: "It won't be overwhelming for us. How many of these players played in the play-off final at Wembley last year? That supersedes this from our perspective as a football club so that's no concern for me. We want to go and ruin the party if you like, from our point of view we want to finish the season with as much pride as possible."

• Rusk added: "We are professional players, when the whistle blows you are focused on your own individual job and the teams job. Whether it's partisan or not or a hot atmosphere on the day, the lads will want to win the game and will want to play well so I don't see that as being a distraction."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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Following their 1-0 win at St Mary's in the reverse fixture, Southampton are looking to complete the league double over Everton for the first time since 1997-98.

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In the final part of our special Southampton Q&A, BBC Radio Solent's Adam Blackmore looks ahead to a busy summer and a potential squad overhaul following relegation to the Championship.

Simon: Can you see a total player clearout happening during the summer? There are a lot of players still there who were relegated two years ago, and again now. Their confidence must be totally shot and I can't help but feel like this is something we will need to do to have a chance of bouncing back immediately.

Adam: I agree with you that there is a lot of scarring in the Saints squad from the two relegations, and it would make a lot of sense to overhaul the squad.

On the flipside, there are also a lot of players with the experience of getting promoted from the play-offs in the Championship. When I think of it like that, I do wonder if maybe Saints would be better keeping a core of the squad together, players who can bring new signings in to the club and set standards.

In reality, there will be a number of players sold to pay for the relegation, there will be some who want to leave and stay in the Premier League, and then there are players who will leave because they are out of contract.

So inevitably, we're going to get another fairly big overhaul of the squad. But there is enough quality in it now to compete in the Championship. The key for me is keeping as many players as possible that you think will contribute 30+ games next season, and also reducing the size of the squad drastically. It's way too big and unmanageable.

Joel: Of the current squad, how many of the players are good enough to cut it in the Championship and at least be competing for the play-offs?

Adam: I could generalise and say lots of them, but we know that a lot of this squad, despite how bad they've been in the Premier League, have shown they can cut it at Championship level.

I do not believe Adam Armstrong and Ben Brereton-Diaz, for example, would want to stay now, but they could score goals to get Saints promoted, as could Cameron Archer if his head has not been turned since January.

I think if they have Ryan Manning and Wellington at left-back, they are set. Same with Bree and Sugawara at right-back. Nathan Wood, Ronnie Edwards, Jan Bednarek and Jack Stephens are all good enough to do well in the Championship. Joe Aribo, Will Smallbone, Flynn Downes and Matheus Fernandes (if they can keep him) give you a top midfield four, wile along with the forwards I mentioned before, if nobody buys Kamaldeen Sulemana and Paul Onuachu, they suddenly have great options up top.

If, and it is a big if, Ross Stewart can stay fit, then he becomes a good live option in the Championship. In reality, I am expecting Aaron Ramsdale, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Tyler Dibling all to be sold to raise funds to pay for relegation.

For me, holding on to Matheus Fernandes could be the difference between challenging for the play-offs/promotion and dancing up automatically.

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On Wednesday, BBC Radio Solent's Adam Blackmore has been answering your questions in a Southampton Q&A.

In part two, he reflects on the 2024-25 season and is asked whether a new boss will be able to turn things around next term.

Barry: Would Southampton have preferred to stay in the Championship if they had known what this season was going to be like?

Adam: I vividly remember many conversations with the great Dave Merrington on this theme. You know, when people say better to go down from the Premier League and regroup to come back up stronger? Dave would say that's rubbish. He said you never want to get relegated, and staying in the Premier League and being in it goes above every other priority.

So, to answer your question, I think it's always better to go up and take the extra status and income the Premier League brings. Going up to the Premier League hasn't been the problem - being bad at recruitment has.

Luke: We really are in a mess! To what extent do you think a new manager will be able to turn round our current squad? I'm not particularly looking forward to next season at the moment, other than no VAR!

Adam: We are all hoping that he will, Luke! And to be honest, your question is tough to answer without knowing who that manager is. I do believe that with his two years of experience in the Championship and his previous coaching at the highest level, Danny Rohl would be a great progressive appointment if they can keep him away from other clubs.

But whoever it is, it has to be a rock-solid appointment for me, an appointment that smacks of experience and authority, not a manager whom the owners gamble on.

And yes, there is a hell of a lot to like about no-VAR-football. It's how the game should be played - you can all celebrate when the ball hits the back of the net, and I can commentate on goals without us having our excitement and moments taken away from us.

Come back to this page later for the final part

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Throughout Wednesday, BBC Radio Solent's Adam Blackmore will be answering your questions in a special Southampton Q&A.

In part one, he dives into the club's search for a new manager.

Billy: When can we expect the new manager to be appointed? Surely the sooner the better? It would make sense to have him at the training for the final couple of weeks of the season to assess the players and try to get ahead of the game. We always seem to be slow and behind the curve.

Adam: I agree with you in principle. I wanted them to get the new manager done as soon as possible, just to give everyone a lift. But having spoken to a few people recently, it seems the perceived wisdom is that if you appoint while a manager (interim or not) is doing the job, you create an unwanted distraction for them and weaken their position early. So I think we will be waiting until at least next week at the earliest, and possibly a lot longer.

If Danny Rohl is the number one choice, then reports linking him to lots of jobs are either a good smokescreen or Saints might need to keep looking!

Clive: Has Simon Rusk done enough to keep the manager's job for the next season and would he want it?

Adam: I think Simon has done well to enhance his reputation as a coach with what he has said and done. There is a lot to be said for setting up a poor team to be hard to play against and recognising its weaknesses, something his immediate predecessors refused to do.

But I do not think he should be considered for the permanent job purely because of his lack of experience in the Championship and his lack of managerial experience overall.

It is a very tough league, and Saints can't gamble on their next managerial appointment in my opinion. Would he want it? I think the fact that Simon gave up his role with the Under-21s tells us he felt it was time to put himself forward again in senior football, and I am sure he will want to stay in management if he can.

Come back to this page later on Wednesday for part two

Ray Hunt
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Pop the champagne - Southampton are not the worst team to grace the Premier League, earning a hard-fought draw by frustrating last season's champions Manchester City for a 0-0 draw to make sure of their 12-point target.

Twelve points is nothing to celebrate, but given the abysmal season, and the remaining fixtures, it was very unlikely the total would increase. Saints also went into the fixture low on confidence after the Leicester City defeat and expecting a rout.

However, the whole backline produced their best performances of the season even without stalwart Kyle Walker-Peters. The centre-back trio of Jack Stephens, Jan Bednarek and Taylor Harwood-Bellis combined for a total of 10 blocks with wing-backs James Bree and Wellington making six tackles.

Indeed, in coming in for the rested Ryan Manning, Wellington's best display for Southampton staked his claim for inclusion during the remainder of the season and on to the next.

City registered 26 shots without success leading to their defender Ruben Dias fuming about Southampton's strategy.

"They were just wasting time the whole game," he said. "I didn't even feel like they wanted to play the game or win the game."

A point without even trying to play. If that is the only way we can gain points, then I would be happy for 38 games in that same ilk.

Simon Rusk's response: "There were high levels of concentration and having good levels of defending in and around your box is an underrated quality. We've got to do what we've got to do and we did it well."

Rusk has succeeded in his goal as interim boss - to make Southampton harder to beat.

More of the same for the final two games against Everton and Arsenal..

Find more from Ray Hunt at the In that Number podcast, external

It has been a miserable Premier League campaign for Southampton, even if a battling point against Manchester City ensured they got the point required to avoid equalling Derby's lowest points tally.

With a long summer ahead, and a busy Championship schedule next season, there is plenty to get stuck into and BBC Radio Solent's Adam Blackmore is once again here to help.

Send us your questions here about the manager, transfer plans, boardroom or anything else and we'll put a selection to him.

Come back to this page later this week to see his answers.

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Southampton and Manchester City.

Here are some of your comments:

Southampton fans

James: Finally something to cheer about. I think Simon Rusk is helping us grow with the team so I think he should give it a shot as a full-time manager.

Mark: So, Ruben Dias didn't like the way we played. It isn't our job to make life easier for Man City. They have a squad worth six or seven times ours but they weren't good enough on the day to win. Well done, lads.

Ryan: A combination of us being resolute and City not moving out of first gear. Nice to surpass the lowest ever Premier League points tally, but still wouldn't mind being a bit more forward thinking. Hard to pick a MOTM after that display.

Steven: We fought, we cared and we were worthy of the point. If only we could have set up and played with that much heart all season. Who knows where we could have been?

Man City fans

Tony: Dreadful display. Guardiola played a safety side instead of going for it from the first minute, with Jeremy Doku or Savinho and Omar Marmoush in from the start. Foden is away with the fairies and Erling Haaland is hopeless in tight spaces.

Mark: I think us supporters deserve an apology for that performance, by the manager and the players. What was Haaland doing? Was he actually playing, because he was totally anonymous throughout the game. The supporters deserve better.

Nigel: Fair play to Southampton - they had a task and stuck to it admirably. Our team selection was questionable but I guess understandable given the final next week. But we didn't offer enough going forward. Teams know how to set up against us and our set-pieces are predictable and almost always terrible, Pep needs a change of set-piece coach I think. Perhaps with Marmoush starting or brought on earlier it may have yielded greater reward. A huge opportunity missed to apply pressure on Arsenal for second place and practically cement a Champions League spot.

Rory: Underwhelming is an understatement. Pep got his tactics all wrong today. Rushed back Haaland when a fully-fit Marmoush was always the better option. It's difficult to admit given all he's done for the club but I worry making the same selection (Haaland over Marmoush) in our final two league fixtures may cost us Champions League football next season.

The latest episode of Goin' Home With Adam And Jo has landed!

The team celebrate as Southampton finally reach 12 points in the Premier League with a 0-0 draw against Man City.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds