August 17th 2013, the last time Southampton won their opening fixture of a league campaign. A last minute Rickie Lambert penalty securing a 0-1 win at West Brom to start Mauricio Pochettino’s first full season at the club. The seasons that followed would be littered with successes including European football, multiple top 10 finishes and a domestic cup final.
That era is long gone. Onto the new one.
Aiming to break the 10 year duct Russell Martin’s Southampton open their season - nay the Football League season - away to Sheffield Wednesday. Under the lights at Hillsborough the chance for a new dawn, equally a cruel and humbling welcome to the Championship is very possible.
On paper there is an argument for this fixture being an ideal opener for the Saints. Wednesday since their playoff heroics seem a disjointed club, many Championship content creators tipping them for relegation under new manager Xisco Munoz. Munoz differing completely in play style to his predecessor Darren Moore. Moore preferring a resolute 5-3-2 while Munoz a typically 2010s Spanish 4-2-3-1.
Alongside implementing this new approach there appears to be a vast disconnect between supporters and the hierarchy, in particular chairman Dejphon Chansiri who during the press conference to announce Xisco Munoz he chose to instead take the opportunity to retaliate to former Leeds player Carlton Palmer surrounding his comments over Darren Moore’s departure.
An early Southampton goal could led to a very toxic atmosphere in the ground.
As mentioned though this match is the curtain raiser. An iconic stadium such as Hillsborough with the romance of the floodlights, the atmosphere prior to any goals will be electric but could the spectacle be too much for what is still a young Southampton squad - average age of the starting XI Vs AZ Alkmaar, 21.2 years.
Saints may need to weather the opening stages.
Bizarrely being away from home may suit Southampton. Having not won a competitive fixture since March 4th, St Mary’s stadium as the last season concluded became a dreary, ‘put us out of our misery’ style atmosphere. Had this encounter been at St Mary’s the hangover from the previous doom and gloom may have continued. Away from home, in front of over 3000 travelling fans, there will be pressure naturally but it will not be the cauldron of disappointment that home fixtures such as Bournemouth, Palace & Fulham were last season.
Contextually, Southampton haven’t won an opening day fixture since the 2013/14 season and haven’t won a competitive match since March 4th (1-0 Leicester) yet in terms of expectation, both internally as a fan base and externally, Southampton are favourites. Something they have not been for a long time, probably last time was Grimsby in the FA Cup and we know how that went.
The ‘favourites’ tag extends beyond the game, indeed Southampton are widely tipped to be among the promotion challengers - understandably so. A win Friday night sets the tone, it sets the pace for the competition. Whereas defeat, paired with a poor performance could humble a currently optimistic fan base.
Come Saturday morning Southampton could be at the top of the mountain or be rooted to it’s base.
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