The club seems to be stalling and the emphasis on affording first-team opportunities to players from their esteemed academy has been slowly erodedWhen Claude Puel was sacked last June, there was tangible excitement among Southampton supporters ready to enjoy a season without the shackles. But seven months on there is little of that desired zest or swagger where Mauricio Pellegrino’s side are concerned and the reality of relegation to the Championship, with the club outside the bottom three only on goal difference before Saturday’s trip to Watford, suggests regression.After one win from their past 13 league matches, it was not surprising that Pellegrino was forced to bat away questions over his immediate future and whether he fears becoming the eighth Premier League managerial casualty of the season at his pre-match press conference on Thursday. “It’s part of our job,” he said. “For every manager, the biggest risk in football is to work in football.” Related: My 50 years of football reporting, from Hurst and Moore to VAR via Le Tissier | Jeremy Alexander Continue readingreadfullarticle
