Southampton endure historic Premier League relegation after defeat at Spurs

It could be that Southampton decide up the 2 factors they want to surpass Derby’s 2007-08 tally of 11 in order to not be ranked the worst workforce in Premier League historical past, however no facet has ever beforehand been relegated with seven video games of the season remaining. In that sense, and that alone, this was a historic afternoon, a brand new excessive in abjection. A facile win, although, didn’t deliver an enormous quantity of pleasure for Tottenham.

It’s exceptional simply how unhealthy a workforce in Southampton’s place can turn out to be, how beaten-down gamers turn out to be unable to carry out even the best capabilities. Like their 5-0 win at St Mary’s in December, the sport that led to Russell Martin being dismissed, there was a way that it was nearly too simple to be significant. Sure, the knife lower via the butter; that doesn’t make it a superb knife.

Spurs’ opener was a working example, 4 neat passes resulting in Djed Spence’s cross for Brennan Johnson, however most likely not the type of interchange you can carry out unchallenged towards first rate opposition.

When Johnson, mysteriously performed onside by not one however two Southampton defenders, poked in a second 5 minutes earlier than half-time, the group’s response was a half-hearted, “Wa-hey”, slightly than a correct cheer. For either side for a number of weeks this league marketing campaign has been one thing to be acquired out of the best way. Hardly ever can a late purpose, to chop the hole to 1, have provoked so little drama as Mateus Fernandes’s strike; Mathys Tel’s penalty restored the two-goal margin.

The spring sunshine couldn’t totally penetrate the coolness. Pockets of distress lingered, the metaphorical shadows extending far additional than the precise ones. In every single place there was dissatisfaction, frustration and gloom. Welcome to the Extraordinarily Properly-Appointed Luxurious Venue of the Damned. On the one hand a zombie facet dreaming of not being the worst in historical past; and on the opposite a workforce limping in the direction of the tip of the season trying to the Europa League for salvation.

Solely victory in Bilbao in Could, certainly, can save Ange Postecoglou now. Followers have usually been sympathetic, recognising the deep-lying elements behind his struggles, however cupping his ear to his personal assist on Thursday has burned via a lot of what restricted credit score he had left. It most likely wasn’t instantly associated, however the rising discontent at Spurs was evident in a bigger than common protest within the streets earlier than kick-off, with maybe 350 calling for the defenestration of Daniel Levy. There have been chants of “We Need Levy Out” instantly after kick-off, at each VAR examine and at sporadic intervals all through, a leitmotif for the afternoon.

There’s an Australian documentary Ange and the Boss that particulars the time Postecoglou spent taking part in for South Melbourne Hellas beneath Ferenc Puskas. Halfway via the season through which South Melbourne gained the grand ultimate, throughout a hunch in type, Puskas was barracked by the house crowd, turned and berated them. That appears to have added to his legend, however it’s one factor for someone who was as soon as the best participant on the planet to make his level to a low stand in suburban Australia, fairly one other for a 59-year-old in his second season in certainly one of Europe’s prime 5 leagues to gesture at away followers watching their facet dropping their sixteenth sport of the season.

Nonetheless that’s 9 fewer than Southampton, who’ve gained one league sport in 5 months. What, you marvel, did Ivan Juric suppose was going to occur when he took the job? He stays admirably engaged, giving Will Smallbone prolonged directions earlier than he introduced him off at 2-0 down, as if any of it mattered.

When he was appointed earlier than Christmas, Southampton have been already backside with a meagre report of six factors from 17 video games. Did Juric actually suppose he might flip issues spherical? If he had by some means stored this squad up, coaches of the longer term would have sought out his coaching notes in the best way alchemists as soon as hunted for the legendary works of Hermes Trismegistus.

Or was he simply chasing an enormous pay-day, a well-remunerated Charon to ferry Southampton again into the Championship? No hurt in that, maybe: he’s 49, a time at which everyone begins glancing anxiously at their pension pot, and, given his work in Italy, it’s unlikely a crushing relegation like this one will hurt his profession in the best way Derby’s humiliation in 2007-08 destroyed Paul Jewell. Nonetheless, he’s lucky Terry Connor (performed 13, gained 0 with Wolves on the tail finish of 2011-12) exists so he is not going to go down in historical past because the Premier League supervisor with the bottom win-percentage.