It was always going to be a struggle to keep Southampton in the Premier League, even before their poor transfer window.
The departure of technical director Jason Wilcox, a big advocate of former Scotland international Martin, to Manchester United last year left the former head coach without a crucial ally and vital support.
Southampton returned to the Premier League without sufficiently replacing Wilcox, which left them without a key position and experience.
There was frustration with the ownership as chief executive Phil Parsons – who joined from Dyson in July 2023 – had limited experience in the game and the club struggled to move quickly enough to get deals done last summer.
The target for the season was to avoid relegation…