As the 2024/25 Premier League season winds down, the mood surrounding Southampton FC is one of grim inevitability. Following a 2-1 defeat to Wolves prior to the March international break—a result marking their 24th loss—the Saints are now 17 points adrift of safety with just nine games remaining. It would take a miracle to avoid relegation, and even manager Ivan Juric has accepted the trajectory.
“We will go down, but we want to go down with more fight, more dignity and more everything,” Juric said after the Wolves game. “There is always something missing… The lads want to win and do their best. But there are moments when we are not good enough, and that’s it.”
That sense of frustration is shared by fans who, despite enduring a historically awful campaign, have packed St Mary’s Stadium throughout the season. The contrast with the previous campaign—where the team went on a 22-game unbeaten run in the Championship and triumphed over Leeds United in the play-off final—is stark. Where hope once flourished, despair now dominates. And with just nine points from 29 games, Southampton look poised to join the ranks of the Premier League’s worst-ever teams.
Managerial Shifts, Minimal Change
Southampton’s slide toward relegation has not been mitigated by drastic managerial changes. Russell Martin was relieved of his duties on December 15 following a humiliating 5-0 home loss to Tottenham Hotspur. He was quickly succeeded by Ivan Juric, the former Roma manager and Croatian international, who took the reins just six days later.
A late equaliser on the south coast means the points are shared between Southampton and Crystal Palace 🤝 pic.twitter.com/uZZgNmG2Mn
— Premier League (@premierleague) April 2, 2025
At the time of his appointment, Juric commented: “I think it’s a really big challenge but I’m very optimistic because I saw a team that can do better.” However, that optimism has yet to be validated. Since taking over, Juric has presided over 12 Premier League matches, winning just one and losing 11—giving him a league-low points-per-game (PPG) average of just 0.25 among managers with 10+ games in charge.
Historical Context and Outlook
To appreciate the gravity of Southampton’s decline, it’s sobering to recall that the team secured 87 points last season en route to a 4th-place Championship finish before their play-off success. The rapid regression highlights the difficulties clubs face in transitioning to the Premier League, especially after squad turnover and tactical instability.
With nine games remaining, including five at home, Southampton’s survival is mathematically improbable. More realistically, Juric’s Saints now eye damage limitation—aiming to restore some pride and avoid setting a new low in English top-flight history.
Southampton’s upcoming fixtures will be closely scrutinized, especially their April 2 encounter with Crystal Palace, after which their ability—or inability—to avoid these historic ignominies will come into sharper focus.