Pre-season roundup - Are Southampton Premier League ready?

SAINTS ended their 2022-23 pre-season with a defeat to Spanish challengers Villarreal, but the final two matches each showed positive signs for the Premier League opener.

With six new signings to integrate so far, five friendly fixtures in four different stadiums – including a trip to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s homeland, Austria – there are plenty of takeaways.

The coaches, with new reinforcements in assistants Ruben Selles, Alex Clapham and Carl Martin, helped the boss trial a new five-at-the-back shape, and the 4-2-2-2 was ditched altogether.

Here is a look back at how pre-season went for Hasenhuttl’s charges, where they faced RB Leipzig, SKA Klagenfurt, Watford, AS Monaco and Villarreal...

Goals

A Armstrong 2

S Armstrong 1

Ward-Prowse 1

Aribo 1

Daily Echo: Joe Aribo and Adam Armstrong (Pic: Matt Temple) Joe Aribo and Adam Armstrong (Pic: Matt Temple)

Saints only found the net in three of the five pre-season matches, with 25-year-old number nine Adam Armstrong the sole player to score twice.

He netted versus RB Leipzig in the opening match in Austria, before two consecutive 0-0 draws passed and Armstrong scored again at home to AS Monaco.

Stuart Armstrong and James Ward-Prowse sealed the win in the second-half of that contest, coming from behind, and Joe Aribo got the best of the bunch with a 70-yard solo run on Saturday.

Defensive record

Daily Echo: Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu (Pic: Matt Temple) Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu (Pic: Matt Temple)

In five matches, Saints shipped six goals – but three of those came in the tough opening match and a further two versus Champions League semi-finalists Villarreal.

The new shape, designed to prevent Saints having one of the poorest defensive records in the Premier League for a third successive season, has helped steady the ship at the back.

Of the six goals, four were conceded with Alex McCarthy in net, while Gavin Bazunu conceded just twice – versus Villarreal. Mateusz Lis, who made a brief 15 minute debut, was hardly tested.

Who did not play in pre-season?

Daily Echo: Willy Caballero (Pic: Matt Temple) Willy Caballero (Pic: Matt Temple)

Only Willy Caballero, 40, and Theo Walcott, 32, did not feature at all for Hasenhuttl’s side during their warm-up schedule.

Caballero is fit and played for the B team versus League One Wycombe Wanderers, but currently finds himself playing a mentor role to the new goalkeeper group.

Gametime is likely to be limited for the veteran Argentine, who signed a new one-year contract to remain at St Mary’s this season.

Meanwhile, Walcott was left out of the Austria trip – alongside Nathan Redmond – with fitness reasons cited, while unlike his teammate he is yet to make a return.

Hasenhuttl did not have an update on his fitness when asked last week, and it looks further likely that Walcott will play a reduced role on the pitch this campaign.

Matches

RB Leipzig 3-1 Saints