We can’t wait to see…Southampton recover from squad decimation

Wouldn’t everyone excluding maybe Portsmouth fans love to see some Southampton defiance during 2014/15?

After composing a memorable season on the south coast in which Mauricio Pochettino marched the Saints to their highest ever Premier League finish in 2013/14, it’s fair to say the wheels (and most of the bodywork) have come off.

It was always the greatest fear among the St Mary’s faithful that the vultures would come circling and so it’s transpired in spectacular fashion.

The Premier League’s ravenous birds of prey have not only hovered, they’ve began stripping the carcass to the bone as Pochettino’s Tottenham exit has proved the catalyst for a mass exodus which may not be finished yet.

Like someone in a heist movie, incoming Saints boss Ronald Koeman has been forced to watch his new joint being ransacked while he’s tied to the chair, helpless to resist.

Thus far, top scorer Rickie Lambert has joined skipper Adam Lallana and centre-back Dejan Lovren at Liverpool, who’ve been relentless in their pursuits of the latter two.

Meanwhile, both of their most promising full-backs – Luke Shaw and Callum Chambers – have been pilfered by Manchester United and Arsenal respectively.

As a result many doom mongers are forecasting relegation could even be on the cards, an outcome something currently rated at 9/2 by Ladbrokes.

However, Koeman has already brought in the top assister in the Eredivisie last season in the form of Dusan Tadic, managed to secure Chelsea left-back Ryan Bertrand on a season-long loan and replaced Lambert with prolific Feyenoord striker Graziano Pelle.

We’re hoping the 6/4 about another top-10 finish is the right bet for the south coast club.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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