The 2025/26 season for Southampton ended in awful circumstances, as the Saints' promotion dreams were killed by Spygate coming to the surface.
Yet, it was also an exciting and exhilarating campaign to take in, despite how it ended, with Tonda Eckert spearheading a 21-game unbeaten run.
The 2024/25 season was definitely a harder one to stomach looking back, as the Saints fell to the second tier, rooted to the bottom of the division, having gone through several managers in the blink of an eye.
Russell Martin would be handed his marching orders, which was a sad severing of the ties, considering the 40-year-old had won the South Coast side promotion to be dining at the exclusive Premier League table.
He is back in the English game now, after a torrid spell in Scotland with Rangers, with Martin officially unveiled as Leicester City's new manager, after lots of speculation suggested he'd succeed Gary Rowett.
Martin confirmed as Leicester manager
Martin will be dropping down to League One to take charge of the Foxes after the one-time Premier League champions succumbed to the misery of back-to-back relegations.
The hope will be that the Scotsman can immediately guide them back up to the second tier, with the 40-year-old penning a three year contract, as per the news of him being revealed as Rowett's successor.
Lauding Leicester as a club with "great history" in his first statement as the new boss, Martin will be praying he can immediately launch himself into the good books at the King Power, with Foxes fans down in the dumps previously when it came to the failed reigns of Steve Cooper, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, and the aforementioned Rowett.
It won't be easy for the EFL-experienced manager, as there will be significant pressure on his shoulders to guide the Foxes straight back to the Championship.
But, Southampton fans watching on from afar will back him to be a success, as he has a promotion on his CV with the South Coast club, after all.
Will he be a success?
Indeed, in 2024, Martin would take the Saints to the promised land of the Premier League, as they beat Leeds United in the Championship playoff final, courtesy of Adam Armstrong coolly scoring the winner.
Since that memorable day out to Wembley, Martin's managerial reputation has taken a beating, with only one win secured the following season seeing the 40-year-old be axed from the Saints dug-out in December that same year.
Moreover, he was subject to pelters throughout his cursed time in charge at Ibrox, so the worry will be that Martin still has scars from this sobering experience.
Yet, he was hardly given an opportunity to stamp his authoirty onto the Rangers ranks, arguably, and he is far more well adjusted to what it takes to be a success in the EFL, as opposed to Scotland.
Noted as being a manager who will "tirelessly" go about his business to be a success by TalkSPORT commentator Ian Stringer, Martin does boast a sizeable 86 wins in both the Championship and in League One, with 24 of those coming in the third tier when he first cut his teeth as a manager with Milton Keynes Dons.
He has a promotion under his belt with Southampton, which Saints fans will always hold him in high esteem for.
Now, it'll be up to Martin to steer Leicester to a triumphant promotion this coming season, with the 40-year-old potentially going up against his ex-club when the 2027/28 campaign rolls around, if everything goes to plan.
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