Southampton CEO Martin Semmens has blamed injuries for the club’s struggles towards the end of the previous Premier League season.
Last campaign, the Saints came in 15th place in the league. This was their second-worst finish under Ralph Hasenhuttl and represented a failure to improve on the club’s effort a season prior when they ended up in 11th spot.
However, Semmens has claimed that the club’s small squad couldn’t handle some key injuries, and that’s what cost Southampton a shot at a better league finish.
While speaking as a guest on the Total Saints podcast, he explained himself, saying: “So the end of last season, I think, was the hardest bit for us, since I’ve been here.
“What do we attribute that to? For sure, the injuries are a big part of that.
“So as we were hitting the heights we hoped one day we’d get to, injuries struck. And I think the fact that we had a small squad, which was probably deliberate and a decision we all made together, didn’t pay off for us.
“And the injuries we had hurt us really badly.”
TIF Thoughts on Southampton last season…
At the beginning of last January, the Saints claimed an impressive 1-0 home victory over Liverpool. This matched a number of other fine results leading up to the new year which saw them defeat Burnley, West Bromwich Albion, Everton, Aston Villa, Newcastle, Brighton and Sheffield United.
However, in February, they suffered a demoralising 9-0 thumping at the hands of Manchester United. A number of losses ensued, causing the club’s season to drift and lose all momentum.
Will Southampton get relegated this season?
Yes
No
In the eyes of Semmens, injuries were to blame for this, and maybe he has a point. The likes of Nathan Redmond, Jannik Vestergaard, Danny Ings, Michael Obafemi and Will Smallbone all missed a number of games due to various issues.
Still, each club has injuries to deal with, and Southampton may well need to do more to impress this season if they want to keep their fans content.
In other news: ‘Deserves the chance’ – Hasenhuttl urged to unleash 22-year-old Southampton ace