The 2022-23 Predictions thread

[Chris cooper]

8 hours ago, Toussaint said:

So we don’t even feature? That’s even more pessimistic than my prediction, at least I don’t have us relegated before the season starts!

Tbf mush wot I’ve seen last 3 games I was very tempted to swap them with bompey .. if we don’t add any attacking options by end of august  ill be forced to add saints to the relegation pile ! 
 

I reckon Broja on loan and hopefully Delap loan (buy if poss) will see us 14th 

[Dark Munster]

48 minutes ago, jawillwill said:

Champions - City

Runners up - Arsenal

3rd - Liverpool

4th - United

5th - Chelsea

6th - Newcastle

7th - Spurs

8th - Wolves

9th - West Ham

10th - Villa

11th - Palace

12th - Leicester

13th - Brighton 

14th - Fulham

15th - Everton

16th - Forest

17th - SAINTS

18th  - Leeds

19th - Bournemouth

20th - Brentford

______________

FA cup winners - West Ham

Carabao Cup winners - Liverpool

Champions League winners - City

Golden Boot winner - Che Adams

 

 

Phew, Che's 25 goals are just enough to keep us up.

[John B]

The owners should be congratulated for investing in the club

I am not particularly interested where we finish this season as long as relegation does not happen

Because these youngsters mature in future seasons and with more aquisitions we should be a much more competitive side

[Kermitzasaint]

I think this is the season we go down. Ralph hasn't learnt anything in his time with us and other teams have worked him out already.

Potentially better players may improve us temporarily until Ralph ruins them.

Hopefully the board move quickly so the team can recover in time.

[Chris cooper]

15 hours ago, John B said:

The owners should be congratulated for investing in the club

I am not particularly interested where we finish this season as long as relegation does not happen

Because these youngsters mature in future seasons and with more aquisitions we should be a much more competitive side

They will be sold wen the get to that level tho 

[trousers]

8th

[John B]

8 hours ago, Kermitzasaint said:

I think this is the season we go down. Ralph hasn't learnt anything in his time with us and other teams have worked him out already.

Potentially better players may improve us temporarily until Ralph ruins them.

Hopefully the board move quickly so the team can recover in time.

So what players has Ralph currently ruined not JWP KWP Romeu S Armstrong Tino Salisu surely

[Gurj]

Champs: Don't know, don't really care. City or Liverpool as ever I suspect.

Top 4, anyone from the above two plus Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs, Man Utd.\

Bottom three anyone from the rest, quite literally.

Saints will stay up because they will fire Ralph at around the same time as Newcastle fire Howe and Howe will take over here.

[Kermitzasaint]

6 hours ago, John B said:

So what players has Ralph currently ruined not JWP KWP Romeu S Armstrong Tino Salisu surely

Well Tino, Salisu, Stu Armstrong and Romeu all went backwards this season. JWP also reverted back to his sideways and backwards football. Broja went backwards, Redmond is Redmond. Who has Ralph improved exactly?

[goodymatt]

2 minutes ago, Kermitzasaint said:

Well Tino, Salisu, Stu Armstrong and Romeu all went backwards this season. JWP also reverted back to his sideways and backwards football. Broja went backwards, Redmond is Redmond. Who has Ralph improved exactly?

I think that JWP, Hojbjerg, KWP and Ings all became notably better players under Ralph. I think they all reached levels that we didn’t expect.

Salisu started last season really well and fell off a cliff second half of the season, not sure what happened there. 

I don’t think you can say players like Tino went backwards. He burst into the scene and just showed the inconsistencies of a young player. Perhaps that’s what we saw with Salisu too, to a degree. Broja would also be in that category for me too.

Ralph isn’t perfect but he has shown he can develop players, he’s also not scared to play them which fits in well with our transfer model.

[Toussaint]

On 24/07/2022 at 18:02, Lighthouse said:

Why? Many of the clubs around us have had much more disappointing or indifferent summers so far. We look stronger in several positions, we just need a replacement for Broja.

True to a degree, I have not considered other teams spending, I am only focussing on our appalling 13 game run at the end of last season and the fact we no longer have Broja, Forster or Tino (for some time). We have more depth, but whether that relates to "stronger in several positions" time will tell. I also have lost faith in Ralph, but that debate has been done to death. 

[whelk]

On 24/07/2022 at 18:02, Lighthouse said:

Why? Many of the clubs around us have had much more disappointing or indifferent summers so far. We look stronger in several positions, we just need a replacement for Broja.

Leicester haven’t made a signing yet and they turn on Rodgers quickly

[FarehamSaintJames]

13 hours ago, Gurj said:

Champs: Don't know, don't really care. City or Liverpool as ever I suspect.

Top 4, anyone from the above two plus Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs, Man Utd.\

Bottom three anyone from the rest, quite literally.

Saints will stay up because they will fire Ralph at around the same time as Newcastle fire Howe and Howe will take over here.

Bizarrely I can see this happening 😅

[SNSUN]

As things stand with transfers as they are:

 

Man City

Liverpool

Tottenham

Chelsea

Arsenal 

United

Newcastle

West Ham

Aston Villa

Leicester

Forest

Palace

Wolves

Brentford

Brighton

Saints (as our squad stands)

Everton

Leeds

Fulham

Bournemouth

 

...but there is still a lot of the transfer window to go.

 

Champions - City (they have Haaland now)

FA Cup - City (they'll win most things next season)

League Cup - Spurs (after City play a weakened side and get knocked out to someone.)

Saints? (As it stands with the squad as it is) - Tough start because we play the more experienced players over the youth for the majority of early games, but then we decide it couldn't hurt to try them and ABK, Lavia and Bazunu prove to be brilliant. Form dips and we are briefly in a relegation battle but we strengthen in the January window and do enough to finish a fairly comfortable 16th.

 

Golden Boot winner? Haaland.

Saints top scorer? Adams with 9, but goals are shared out.

Saints best buy? Bazunu.

Saints most improved existing player? Weirdly I think we will see AArmstrong in amongst the goals more this season. He gets a bit of confidence and goes on a run.

Will Ralph last the season? No but he'll be given longer than people think.

 

I'm pleased we've spent some money and Dortmund have proved that if you're good enough, you're old enough so I just hope our model of signing talented youngsters doesn't hurt us this season. I still think we could be in a relegation battle because the teams in the league are stronger than recent years IMO but hopefully we have enough to get out of it...and keep JWP. Happy to wear egg on my face if the youngsters prove to be brilliant. (It's weird hearing myself be so negative as I'm usually cup half full, it's just what I feel right now. Another good striker, 10 and full back signing and I'll be happier!)

 

[whelk]

Ok based on that Monaco second half I have revised to 6th

[Saint Fan CaM]

18 hours ago, whelk said:

Ok based on that Monaco second half I have revised to 6th

Blimey, that’s a stretch. It was a good 2nd half performance, but a better team would have taken us apart and finished us off earlier in the game probably.  

My feeling is we will finish higher than last season but on the proviso Ralph is able to identify a system to suit a first choice team that includes our best players…i.e. Redmond is left on the bench, Adams and AArmstrong do not play together, Perraud gets the nod ahead of Djenepo at LB. Oh and the high press means more than 1 or 2 pressing…worked so much better when at least three of the front line pressed together as it limited passing out.

I’m going to stick my neck on the line and say 12th.

[JRM]

On 24/07/2022 at 11:36, CB Fry said:

Agree with this. We are on track to be in the worst six teams in the league yet again, and right now feels to me we are closer to the worst three that we were even last season. That Christmas purple patch seems so far away now.

Can these kids handle it? A bunch of young kids on the back of four morale-sapping defeats early in the season and we could be a club in tailspin.

It's a lovely experiment to go for all this potential and youth but we fans could get to the world cup break collectively reflecting on how anyone thought that it could possibly work in the 2022 Premier League. A big gamble.

Agree, going to need our experienced players to step up when needed, although last night reminded me the likes of KWP, Romeu, JWP, S. Armstrong even big Joe Aribo could provide some decent experience across the pitch, all used to big games. 

[Danbert]

I don't think we'll be relegated, but I do think we'll struggle unless we can sign a decent striker. Brentford, Leicester, Everton, Leeds, Forest, Fulham and Bompey are the only teams I can see us finishing above.

[woodsaint1]

League - City

Top 4 - Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs

Relegated - Bournemouth, Fulham, Leeds

Saints - 13th

Edited 28 July, 2022 by woodsaint1

[Jimbo]

I think we're doomed. 

1. Second half of last season's woeful form;
2. New signings, whilst promising, are mostly unproven at this level - banking a lot on them providing the sustained impact needed (even Broja tailed off after half a season)
3. Leaky defense
4. Lack of creativity in midfield
5. Team devoid of goalscorers
6. Manager still unsure of his approach/best team & formation after 3yrs

Not a great combination.

[Piran]

I think we'll do well.

1. First half (and more) of last season's great form.

2. New signings look promising.

3. Defense looks tighter.

4. Midfield looks more creative, especially Aribo.

5. More goals this year, and I fancy Adam Armstrong to get his fair share.

6. Manager looking more decisive and settled, with his extra coaching staff.

A good combination!

[Manuel]

For me a lot will depend on if we get this talked about extra striker, who he is and how well he settles in.  That's a lot of swing depending on one player, but if we stay as we are I worry we will continue to struggle. 

[AlexLaw76]

5 hours ago, Piran said:

I think we'll do well.

1. First half (and more) of last season's great form.

2. New signings look promising.

3. Defense looks tighter.

4. Midfield looks more creative, especially Aribo.

5. More goals this year, and I fancy Adam Armstrong to get his fair share.

6. Manager looking more decisive and settled, with his extra coaching staff.

A good combination!

Bantz 

[waterlooville saint]

Provided the majority of the new players get up to speed fairly quickly I think we're going to be finishing somewhere in the 13 - 16 range. I think we'll get off to our usual slow start so will flirt with the relegation zone initially but soon get into a reasonably comfortable position for the rest of the season.

I should also add that I have bought a season ticket for the first time in about 20 years so it's all my fault if we are relegated.

[qwertyell]

Bottom 5.

[Chez]

Couldn't give a monkey's about the winners and CL positions etc. All that matters is how we do and whether we survive after this first (maybe second) season of recruiting mostly young potential.

I worry that we have not really strengthened the first eleven in the short term and whether we will carry over the woeful form from last season. Have we done enough to turn around a one win in 13 game stretch?

I don't know, so I'll go for 15th, which personally I think would be a good end result considering the starting point (by which I mean the low confidence we might carry across from last season).

I wonder what the target the owner has set? 

Man City
Liverpool
Tottenham
Chelsea
Arsenal 
United
Newcastle
West Ham
Aston Villa
Palace
Wolves
Leicester
Brighton
Brentford
Everton
Saints
Forest
Leeds
Fulham
Bournemouth

 

Edited 2 August, 2022 by Chez

[Whitey Grandad]

26 minutes ago, Chez said:

Couldn't give a monkey's about the winners and CL positions etc. All that matters is how we do and whether we survive after this first (maybe second) season of recruiting mostly young potential.

I worry that we have not really strengthened the first eleven in the short term and whether we will carry over the woeful form from last season. Have we done enough to turn around a one win in 13 game stretch?

I don't know, so I'll go for 15th, which personally I think would be a good end result considering the starting point (by which I mean the low confidence we might carry across from last season).

I wonder what the target the owner has set? 

Man City
Liverpool
Tottenham
Chelsea
Arsenal 
United
Newcastle
West Ham
Aston Villa
Palace
Wolves
Leicester
Brighton
Brentford
Everton
Saints
Forest
Leeds
Fulham
Bournemouth

 

Of course that was 2 wins in 14, 4 wins in 16 and so on. 

Edited 2 August, 2022 by Whitey Grandad

[aintforever]

If the squad stays as it is I expect us to struggle to score enough and we will probably flirt with a relegation battle if not worse. Our signings seem decent but long-term so it’s a bit of gamble as to wether our first XI will be any better this year compared to last. Bring in a good centre forward I can see us finishing comfortably mid-table, probably 12th.

If I had to put money on it I would go for Bournemouth, Brentford and Leeds for the drop.

[Baird of the land]

See the Guardian's combined prediction has us 17th.

Premier League 2022-23 preview No 17: Southampton | Football | The Guardian

[qwertyell]

5 minutes ago, Baird of the land said:

See the Guardian's combined prediction has us 17th.

Premier League 2022-23 preview No 17: Southampton | Football | The Guardian

Understandable.

Although these pre-season prediction articles are by and large only good for a laugh at their superficial knowledge of what's going on at any club outside of the top six.

In the Telegraph yesterday, their Southampton expert (from the Ugly Inside no less) predicted Thierry Small would be our breakthrough player this term.

He's on loan for the season at Port Vale...

 

[kwsaint]

WSC has us 16th - the Saints correspondent had us 15th.  Sounds about right to me.  Bottom 6 and just about surviving again.  It's going to be a very bumpy season.  A few good results when the youngsters get it together with a number of hidings.  Hang on tight.

[Spitz]

This does not make great reading from a Saints pov.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62391593

Personally I don’t feel quite so pessimistic, but not to the point of thinking we’ll finish in the top 10.

[goodymatt]

The Athletic have us going down in 18th.

[Forester]

I had us down for relegation prior to the transfer window given the end to last season.  I am feeling a little bit more optimistic given the new additions, albeit am sure they will take time to show up at this level.  However I think there are two big moments in the season that will define us:

 

- what happens, given end to last season, if we make the expected poor start?  Do the club fire Ralph and if so who do they bring in?  Dyche, Howe (if sacked by then) or Rafa could in my opinion all improve us.

- on the upside, I think the long break for World Cup could really suit us.  We saw that in the “COVID season” where we were able to “go again” with energy.

 

So notwithstanding the uncertainty on the first of these two points I think we will survive but it will always feel like we are in a relegation season, so somewhere between 14th and 17th.  Two more signings would give me more confidence, namely another striker and a loan full back until Tino is fit

[SNOWY]

 

Champions - Man City

Rest of Top 4 - Liverpool,Chelsea,Man U

FA Cup - Man U

League Cup - Man City

Bottom 3 - Bournemouth, Fulham, Leeds

Saints - 16th (38 points)

[S-Clarke]

The predictions in the media seem to be ignoring a lot of the changes we've made in the summer, not just on player additions but also backroom staff.

Once we get our Broja replacement I think we'll surprise a few, as we have had a total reset this summer. Whilst there is always a fear that last seasons form can carry over, due to the amount of changes we've made at the club this summer it does feel like we're starting on a clean slate for all.

I personally really rate the signings we've made because they align with how we want to play. Yes, they're young and don't have huge experience, but neither did Shaw or Tino when we threw them in. My mantra has always been if you're good enough you're old enough and I think the 'media' will be surprised at the impact some of these young lads make this season. They'll be quick to sell them off to the Top 6 before long, as god forbid anyone outside the big clubs can have good players.

[Klaus Schwab]

1 hour ago, Spitz said:

This does not make great reading from a Saints pov.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62391593

Personally I don’t feel quite so pessimistic, but not to the point of thinking we’ll finish in the top 10.

I know this my club and I’m an optimistic guy, but I don’t think that’s right at all. 

In all honesty, it’s a little lazy from the bbc 

In my opinion, the new coaching set up is just as important as the raw talent that we’ve signed, and we’ll see an end to the rollercoaster that is going from looking unbeatable to looking like the dog and duck on a Sunday morning with a hangover. 

The new lads will make mistakes but I genuinely believe that we’ll play good attacking football and more than hold our own most of the season. Especially if we sign a good striker  

I really trust Sports Republic and recon we’ll end up 10th

[aintforever]

I didn't realise Notting Forest have lost 7 of the 15 that got them through the play-offs. Could be a good bet to go down.

[spyinthesky]

16 minutes ago, aintforever said:

I didn't realise Notting Forest have lost 7 of the 15 that got them through the play-offs. Could be a good bet to go down.

But I think they have signed 11 new players spending a shed load of money in the process

[CB Fry]

6 hours ago, Spitz said:

This does not make great reading from a Saints pov.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62391593

Personally I don’t feel quite so pessimistic, but not to the point of thinking we’ll finish in the top 10.

Seems fair enough. Anyone predicting us to finish anywhere in the bottom six I think is realistic.

Stone last or 15th both possible.

[CB Fry]

5 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

The predictions in the media seem to be ignoring a lot of the changes we've made in the summer, not just on player additions but also backroom staff.

Once we get our Broja replacement I think we'll surprise a few, as we have had a total reset this summer. Whilst there is always a fear that last seasons form can carry over, due to the amount of changes we've made at the club this summer it does feel like we're starting on a clean slate for all.

I personally really rate the signings we've made because they align with how we want to play. Yes, they're young and don't have huge experience, but neither did Shaw or Tino when we threw them in. My mantra has always been if you're good enough you're old enough and I think the 'media' will be surprised at the impact some of these young lads make this season. They'll be quick to sell them off to the Top 6 before long, as god forbid anyone outside the big clubs can have good players.

When was the last time a team actually had a significant marked improvement in their league position because of a change to backroom staff?

I know it is an obsession on this forum but when it is observed anywhere else in English League football?

When did Wolves or Burnley or West Ham or Leicester or Palace change a first team coach or a fitness coach and that in and of itself made a huge impact?

Edited 4 August, 2022 by CB Fry

[Turkish]

4 hours ago, CB Fry said:

When was the last time a team actually had a significant marked improvement in their league position because of a change to backroom staff?

I know it is an obsession on this forum but when it is observed anywhere else in English League football?

When did Wolves or Burnley or West Ham or Leicester or Palace change a first team coach or a fitness coach and that in and of itself made a huge impact?

Yes. When we got rid of Eric black, the guy holding us back for so long and to blame for us of our ills we went from 8th to 17th, oh shit……

[Turkish]

5 hours ago, CB Fry said:

Seems fair enough. Anyone predicting us to finish anywhere in the bottom six I think is realistic.

Stone last or 15th both possible.

We seem to be most neutrals choice for relegation or at best a close escape. I hope this young saints team defies all odds but struggling to see it right now.

[Chez]

22 minutes ago, Turkish said:

We seem to be most neutrals choice for relegation or at best a close escape. I hope this young saints team defies all odds but struggling to see it right now.

of the sides that stayed up, we finished third bottom. Not hard to understand why many see us as potential fall guys. 

I'm nervous about how many of the signings will play from the off. We needed to bolster the first eleven. Aribo is one, but will there be any others that make the starting eleven?

[AlexLaw76]

6 hours ago, Turkish said:

We seem to be most neutrals choice for relegation or at best a close escape. I hope this young saints team defies all odds but struggling to see it right now.

Not surprising.  We were terrible in defence, so we have added someone with almost no experience.  We were terrible in attack for the last 3rd of the season, so we have added another one with almost no experience.  We could yet sell our current best players in these 2 parts of the pitch.

Aribo could be decent and Leiva is in a position where we are probably the strongest.  I like Sports republic, mainly because they are not Gao, but not sold that this transfer window is a success - yet. 

Edited 5 August, 2022 by AlexLaw76

[Give it to Ron]

53 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Not surprising.  We were terrible in defence, so we have added someone with almost no experience.  We were terrible in attack for the last 3rd of the season, so we have added another one with almost no experience.  We could yet sell our current best players in these 2 parts of the pitch.

Aribo could be decent and Leiva is in a position where we are probably the strongest.  I like Sports republic, mainly because they are not Gao, but not sold that this transfer window is a success - yet. 

Plus the goalkeeper a big gamble on Bazanu and the signing of Lis although glad Willy is here again.

I get our philosophy of having to have resale value but it shouldn’t be totally that.

Would Mee,Tarkowski or now Coady perform any worse than Bednarek but would help Bazanu, B-K and Salisu more.

We still need that Pelle/Lambert striker and until then bottom 6 material. Our attack looks very weak.
 

[Convict Colony]

Aribo to be player of the season.

 

[skintsaint]

26 minutes ago, Convict Colony said:

Aribo to be player of the season.

 

I'm going for Redders playing out of his skin for a new contract somewhere else.

[Suhari]

We'll be fine, assuming we get the new starting striker in.

 

Champions: Man City

Next bunch - Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs, West Ham

Next bunch - United, Newcastle, Villa,

Middles (any order...from these) - Leicester, Palace, Wolves, Brentford, Brighton, Saints

Bottom 3 from - Forest, Everton, Leeds, Fulham, Bournemouth

 

[Toussaint]

47 minutes ago, Suhari said:

We'll be fine, assuming we get the new starting striker in.

 

Champions: Man City

Next bunch - Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs, West Ham

Next bunch - United, Newcastle, Villa,

Middles (any order...from these) - Leicester, Palace, Wolves, Brentford, Brighton, Saints

Bottom 3 from - Forest, Everton, Leeds, Fulham, Bournemouth

 

I think Fulham and Bournemouth probably, the 3rd spot is anyone's guess. Don't know anything about Forest, Leeds had a terribly injury affected season , I think they will be OK as will Everton.