Saints Marching
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West Ham 3-0 Southampton: Three Key Takeaways

By Ryan Borowski

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 04: Ralph Hasenhuettl, Manager of Southampton looks on prior to the Premier League match between West Ham United and Southampton FC at London Stadium on May 04, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 04: Ralph Hasenhuettl, Manager of Southampton looks on prior to the Premier League match between West Ham United and Southampton FC at London Stadium on May 04, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images) /
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A tough afternoon in London saw Southampton fall to the home side in a match that was underlined by the fact the Saints secured PL safety the week prior.

The Season is over.

With safety secured Southampton’s season is essentially over and it was shown in this match. Fraser Forster and Mohamed Elyounoussi both got chances to start and prove themselves and players like Nathan Redmond and James Ward-Prowse got some well-deserved rest.

The final match against Huddersfield will certainly lack a certain intensity with both sides having nothing to play for and the focus will now shift to the summer and the transfer window. With a manager who knows what he wants and has proven he can win in the Premier League, the future for the Saints is exciting.

LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 04: Ryan Fredericks of West Ham United battles for possession with Mohamed Elyounoussi of Southampton during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Southampton FC at London Stadium on May 04, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 04: Ryan Fredericks of West Ham United battles for possession with Mohamed Elyounoussi of Southampton during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Southampton FC at London Stadium on May 04, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images) /

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Saints need Depth

Players like Nathan Redmond, James Ward-Prowse, and Pierre-Emili Hojbjerg were so pivotal to Southampton survival this season and thankfully none of them went down with a major injury because I am not sure how well they would have done with their replacements.

This match shows the need for depth and being ready to maintain a premier league level of play even when some of your players go down with injury. I suspect that we will see a healthy serving of new players coming in this summer to give us the depth we need to compete for a full season and make a cup run or two.

Time to say goodbye

It has become clear Hasenhuttl is likely going to clear house this summer and get rid of players who do fit his system. We will likely never see Alex McCarthy in a Saints kit again and he will definitely not be the only one who finds a new home this summer. Southampton FC will have a much different look next season but it will probably for the best. The further we can get away from everything that went wrong over the past few seasons the better