2018–19 Southampton F.C. season

Southampton 2018–19
Club information
Manager	Mark Hughes (until 3 December) Ralph Hasenhüttl (from 5 December)
Stadium	St Mary's Stadium
League Season information
Final League position	Premier League
Cup placements
FA Cup	Third round
EFL Cup	Fourth round
Season statistics
Top goalscorer	Danny Ings & James Ward-Prowse (both 7)
← 2017–18	2019–20 →

The 2018–19 Southampton F.C. season was the club's 20th season in the Premier League and their 42nd in the top division of English football. In addition to the Premier League, the club also competed in the FA Cup and the EFL Cup. Southampton finished the season 16th in the Premier League table with 9 wins, 12 draws and 17 losses. The club were knocked out of the third round of the FA Cup by Championship side Derby County, and were knocked out of the EFL Cup in the fourth round by fellow Premier League team Leicester City. The 2018–19 season was Southampton's last with manager Mark Hughes, who departed on 3 December 2018 with the club in the relegation zone with only one win from 14 games. Former Leipzig manager Ralph Hasenhüttl was appointed as his replacement the next day, after Kelvin Davis took charge of the team's next game.

Following the end of the 2017–18 season, Southampton released a number of players, including first-team defenders Florin Gardoș and Jérémy Pied. The club also sold Serbian midfielder Dušan Tadić to Dutch club Ajax for £10 million. Several players were also brought in during the summer – Scottish midfielder Stuart Armstrong from Premiership champions Celtic for £7 million, Norwegian winger Mohamed Elyounoussi from Swiss side Basel for £16 million, goalkeeper Angus Gunn from Premier League champions Manchester City for £13.5 million, and Danish centre-back Jannik Vestergaard from German club Borussia Mönchengladbach. In August, Liverpool striker Danny Ings joined on an initial loan, with a permanent move planned for the following summer. A number of players were loaned out, including striker Guido Carrillo, playmaker Sofiane Boufal, and midfielder Jordy Clasie.

In the January transfer window, the club sold out-of-favour striker Manolo Gabbiadini to Italian side Sampdoria for an undisclosed fee. Midfielder Steven Davis also returned to his former club Rangers on loan until the end of the season, while Wesley Hoedt and Cédric Soares moved to Celta Vigo and Inter Milan on loan until the end of the season respectively.

Pre-season

Southampton begun their 2018–19 pre-season preparations with a short tour of China, including matches against German club Schalke 04 and local side Jiangsu Suning. The first game ended in a 3–3 draw, with Nathan Redmond, Harrison Reed and Jake Hesketh scoring for the Saints. In the second, the Premier League side edged a 3–2 victory, thanks to goals from Manolo Gabbiadini, Redmond and Sam Gallagher.Returning to England, the club faced Championship side Derby County at Pride Park on 21 July. The lower league hosts subjected the Premier League visitors to their first pre-season defeat with a 3–0 win, goals coming from Tom Lawrence (two) and Mason Bennett. A week later, Southampton beat French side Dijon FCO 2–0, with Shane Long and Gabbiadini securing the win.

The club's final two pre-season games took place at St Mary's Stadium. The first, against Spanish club Celta Vigo, ended 3–2 after a late winner from new signing Mohamed Elyounoussi completed a second-half comeback. Celta Vigo took a 2–0 lead in the first 45 minutes, with goals from Pione Sisto and Iago Aspas giving the hosts a disadvantage to overcome. Shortly after the break, Charlie Austin and Stuart Armstrong struck in a five-minute period to bring the game level, before Elyounoussi's finish gave the Saints the win. The second match took place three days later against German side Borussia Mönchengladbach. The visitors won the game comfortably, with two goals from Patrick Herrmann and a third from Denis Zakaria (both brought on as substitutes) giving them a 3–0 victory.

External links

• Southampton F.C. official website