When manager Mauricio Pochettino and a host of key players headed for pastures new 12 months ago, the thinking was that Southampton would struggle in the Premier League.
Instead of fighting against relegation, new boss Ronald Koeman and his signings helped the Saints to spend much of the campaign battling for a place in the Champions League, before they ultimately settled for Europa League football.
Now, Koeman must perform a juggling act as Southampton prepare to play in Europe for the first time in 12 years. What impact will that have on the team's Premier League form? Here, Sports Mole has assessed how Koeman's men may fare.
In
Juanmi (Malaga), Cedric Soares (Sporting CP), Maarten Stekelenburg (Fulham, season-long loan), Cuco Martina (FC Twente), Jordy Clasie (Feyenoord), Steven Caulker (Queens Park Rangers, season-long loan)
Out
Artur Boruc (Bournemouth), Jos Hooiveld (Released), Cody Cropper (Released), Omar Rowe (Released), Jake Sinclair (Released), Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool), Dani Osvaldo (Released), Morgan Schneiderlin (Manchester United), Sam Gallagher (MK Dons, season-long loan)
Last season - 7th
Manager - Ronald Koeman
Managing for the first time in the Premier League is not an easy prospect at the best of times, but to take over a side that has had its heart ripped out takes some courage. To the Dutchman's credit, he got on with the job in hand and ended up being among the nominees for the Manager of the Year.
Some managers have bemoaned the extra workload that playing in the Europa League places on their squads, but from his time in charge of the likes Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord, Koeman will know all about the rigours of finding the balance when it comes to European commitments. In that respect, plenty of his signings have been shrewd, with many of the new faces having experienced what it is like to play on a Thursday and then a Sunday.
Key Player - Jose Fonte
While those around him have upped sticks and moved on over the last couple of pre-season breaks, Fonte has remained loyal. No doubt there were many admirers in the summer of 2014, but the centre-back's decision to stay put was rewarded by a season that saw him gain senior international recognition from his native Portugal.
The Saints conceded 33 goals and kept 15 clean sheets last term - only champions Chelsea could produce a better record. Much of that was down to the presence of the 31-year-old, who is a real leader of men in the defence. A number of new defenders have arrived at the St Mary's Stadium this summer, but with Fonte alongside them for guidance, they should settle in quickly.
© Getty Images
Possible starting lineup
Stekelenburg; Soares, Fonte, Caulker, Bertrand; Wanyama, Clasie, Davis; Tadic, Mane; Pelle
First game: Newcastle United (A), Full fixture list
Sports Mole says
Assuming that Southampton make the group stages of the Europa League, that will mean an extra 10 games before Christmas, some of which are bound to be played against clubs in some far-flung nations. But, Koeman has actually started to build not only a good starting XI at Southampton, there is also some depth. It means that providing there is no major injury crisis, he should be able to rotate his options accordingly.
Theoretically, that in turn would mean that there is no negative impact on Southampton's Premier League form. While a top-four challenge for the second season in succession may be asking a little too much, with the quality at Koeman's disposal, they really should be competing with the sides just underneath that bracket again.
Germany
Switzerland
Hungary
Scotland
Spain
Italy
Croatia
Albania
England
Denmark
Slovenia
Serbia
Austria
France
Netherlands
Poland
Romania
Belgium
Slovakia
Ukraine
Portugal
Turkey
Georgia
Czech Republic
