After a quite bizarre campaign in 2020-21 - when they both topped the table and then tanked towards the drop zone - Southampton will seek stability in the coming months, as they aim to improve upon last term's 15th-placed finish.
The fleeting high of being top in November gave way to the grim realities of an injury-wrecked winter, as Ralph Hasenhuttl's men again subjected their fans to the ignominy of a Premier League record-equalling defeat in February.
This time around, they will have to find a way to manage without star striker Danny Ings - who has since departed for pastures new - and hope to avoid a similar collapse in form. Here, Sports Mole assesses their chances of a top-half challenge.
FIXTURES
Starting with a far from ideal pair of fixtures this month, Southampton first travel to Everton - who will surely improve their home form back in front of fans - before hosting last season's nemesis Manchester United at St Mary's.
While not a derby as such, South Coast rivals Brighton arrive on Saints territory in early December, preceding a Christmas and New Year period which sees Ralph Hasenhuttl's men take on West Ham, Tottenham and then Newcastle United.
A trio of tough encounters come along at the end of January and into the following month, as they must meet defending champions Manchester City, Spurs and Manchester United in successive outings - the last two of which are away from home.
During the run-in, Saints follow the reverse fixture against Brighton with closely-matched games versus Crystal Palace and Brentford, before closing their campaign with challenging propositions against Liverpool (home) and Leicester (away).
> Click here to see all of Southampton's 2021-22 fixtures
SUMMER SIGNINGS
In
Theo Walcott (free, Everton)
Romain Perraud (10.8m, Brest)
Valentino Livramento (£5.3m, Chelsea)
Adam Armstrong (£15.9m, Blackburn Rovers)
Armando Broja (loan, Chelsea)
Out
Ryan Bertrand (free, Leicester City)
Kayne Ramsay (loan, Crewe Alexandra)
Angus Gunn (£5.3m, Norwich City)
Thomas O'Connor (free, Burton Albion)
Wesley Hoedt (undisclosed, Anderlecht)
Jake Hesketh (free, Eastleigh)
Josh Sims (released)
Dan N'Lundulu (loan, Lincoln City)
Mario Lemina (£5m, Nice)
Callum Slattery (undisclosed, Motherwell)
Jake Vokins (loan, Ross County)
Will Ferry (loan, Crawley Town)
Danny Ings (£31.7m, Aston Villa)
Southampton total spent to date: £22m
Southampton total received to date: £41.9m
Southampton net transfer balance: £19.9m
SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Alex McCarthy, Harry Lewis, Fraser Forster
Defenders: Romain Perraud, Kyle Walker-Peters, Jannik Vestergaard, Jack Stephens, Yan Valery, Valentino Livramento, Mohammed Salisu, Jan Bednarek, Sam McQueen, Allan Tchaptchet
Midfielders: Oriol Romeu, James Ward-Prowse, Mohamed Elyounoussi, Nathan Redmond, Moussa Djenepo, Stuart Armstrong, Will Smallbone, Nathan Tella, Ibrahima Diallo, Ryan Finnigan, Caleb Watts, Kgagelo Chauke
Forwards: Shane Long, Che Adams, Michael Obafemi, Theo Walcott, Adam Armstrong, Armando Broja
> Click here for full details of Southampton's 2021-22 squad
STRONGEST XI
STAR PLAYER - James Ward-Prowse
Leading by example last term, captain James Ward-Prowse was one of the few who came out of Southampton's terrible run from January onwards with any credit, as his set-piece excellence came within a whisker of earning him a place at the Euros with England.
When, last summer, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg indicated he would be leaving, manager Ralph Hasenhuttl stripped him of the captaincy and had no qualms about handing the armband to Ward-Prowse - a product of the thriving Saints academy.
Now 26, the Portsmouth-born midfielder has surpassed 250 Premier League appearances already, and his unerring accuracy from dead-ball situations is renowned. The bulk of his assists last season came from set pieces, with most of his goals also coming from a showreel of sublimely-struck direct free-kicks.
Not only did he offer a serious threat to the opposition goal, but at the peak of Southampton's powers last year, Ward-Prowse was ranked sixth for possession won in the midfield third across the league - proving his perception and work-rate is also beyond question.
Having signed a new five-year contract last year, the Saints skipper should now be approaching his prime - with just over a year to go until the next World Cup.
MANAGER - Ralph Hasenhuttl
It has been a tumultuous time on the South Coast for Ralph Hasenhuttl since joining Southampton shortly after his exit from RB Leipzig, who he guided to a shock second-place finish in their first-ever Bundesliga season.
Making an instant impact with his high-tempo style, Saints fans were quickly enamoured with the new man in charge back in 2018, though events since have threatened his credibility.
The Austrian coach has been described as an avowed workaholic, who spends hours developing strategies and coming up with ways of improving productivity from set pieces. While the latter aim has been singularly successful - as his team have topped stats for goals scored from set plays - results have wavered in recent months.
A pair of 9-0 defeats under his leadership inevitably scar an otherwise presentable CV, and the former Ingolstadt boss has seen his standing dip significantly since the turn of the year. Pressure will surely grow, then, if the club fail to adequately replace chief goal-getter Danny Ings and Hasenhuttl's side get off to a sluggish start.
LAST SEASON - 15th
A curious campaign saw Southampton's boss named 'Manager of the Month' in August - for his achievements at the end of 2019-20's lockdown-delayed conclusion - before the club suffered a slow start to September, and then embarked on a wonderful run of form.
Danny Ings, Kyle Walker-Peters and James Ward-Prowse all impressed, as a team that spent much of the previous campaign flirting with the relegation zone seemed set to go on to greater things.
That spectacular spell continued until the turn of the year, when Saints beat defending champions Liverpool and looked on course for a European challenge, but that was soon followed by an unedifying implosion, as injuries took their toll.
Again, the season's defining game for the South Coast club was a humbling 9-0 defeat - this time at the hands of an imperious Manchester United - and they continued to struggle throughout the rest of the season; eventually finishing well clear of danger in 15th.
PREDICTION
Significant progress is unlikely to be forthcoming for Southampton this season, given a relative lack of investment in personnel so far.
Undoubtedly, Che Adams and company will have to raise their game with Danny Ings departed, but whether or not they can fill the void in terms of goals could be the difference between a challenge for the top 10 and a grim campaign spent glancing over their shoulders.
Hasenhuttl knows that defensive inconsistencies must be ironed out too, if Saints are to achieve their goals - which should include a prolonged cup run - so pinning down a number one goalkeeper and regular rearguard may be decisive in that respect.
Given their accumulated Premier League experience and a handful of talented pros, any thoughts of demotion should remain distant, as they see out the season in mediocrity once more.
VERDICT: 14th body check tags ::
