Southampton

Alex Fletcher
BBC Sport journalist

Southampton interim boss Simon Rusk has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Manchester City (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Rusk hopes to have everyone available for the game and said his squad has a "fairly clean bill of health".

• On Mateus Fernandes' availability after he was substituted against Leicester City: "He's recovered from last week [against Leicester] and he's trained well this week and hopefully he can put a good performance in for us on Saturday."

• Asked about the defeat at King Power, Rusk said "it was a sore one" but that he wanted his side to "lick their wounds and get ready for the next one".

• On whether there will be changes to his team: "When you get a bad result like that, there's a lot of work that feels undone and so we have to do the work again. We can't be victims and feel sorry for ourselves. My message to the players was that all we can do is take care of our actions. There are lots of reasons as to why you arrive at a starting XI but what I did say to the players was: 'Be at it'."

• Rusk said that he wants to "finish the season on a high and build momentum": "[It's a chance] to end the season with as much dignity as possible."

• On Manchester City: "What we are facing is the greatest team and greatest manager for nine or 10 years now. By their standards, they'll be disappointed that they haven't been in and around the title but when you look at their capabilities, you know we are going to be tested.

• Rusk added that: "It's important we don't move in to fear territory in these games and instead we put our best foot forward."

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Full commentary of Southampton v Manchester City from 15:00 BST on BBC Radio 5 Live on Saturday

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Manchester City's Kevin de Bruyne has been directly involved in more Premier League goals against Southampton (14 – four goals, 10 assists) than against any other side.

Only Ryan Giggs (12 v Manchester City and 12 v Newcastle) and Cesc Fabregas (11 v Tottenham) have more assists against an opponent in the competition than De Bruyne's 10 against the Saints.

City have won their past four Premier League games, their joint-longest winning run of the season. They are looking to win back-to-back away league games for the first time since August.

Ray Hunt
Fan writer

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The white flag is being well and truly waved after another loss. This time to a poor Leicester side who had failed to score a home goal since December.

It was one of the most disappointing performances and results of the season, especially considering it was probably our final hope for any points.

It actually looked a positive start, until Jamie Vardy breached our wide open backline to end Leicester's goal-drought of 826 minutes at King Power Stadium.

When Jordan Ayew doubled the lead just before half-time, it effectively ended any hopes of a fightback. The last time Saints scored twice in a match was against Ipswich in February and have only managed it on four occasions this season. Only one of those yielded points. There is no belief that we can overturn any deficit. To not even push is one of the hardest things to take.

Simon Rusk admitted he had as much chance of turning Southampton into a dynamic force in the Premier League as he did of achieving world peace.

All we ask is to match a struggling side and we could not even muster up enough effort, pride or confidence for that.

There's bottom, rock bottom and then there is this. We are guaranteed the 20th spot now, and with games against Manchester City and Arsenal at home left - both of whom are still playing for something - there is very little hope of expecting anything other than a hammering.

Everton's last hurrah at Goodison Park should also prove a stumbling block for this sorry season.

Remember the final day against Liverpool in 2023? Any chance of that?

Find more from Ray Hunt at the In that Number podcast, external

Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale is wanted by Manchester United and West Ham. (Mirror), external

Want more transfer news? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Mark Scott
Final Score reporter

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Southampton fans have not had much to shout about this season - but they sang themselves hoarse about the decision to substitute Mateus Fernandes at Leicester City.

Interim boss Simon Rusk was on the defensive afterwards, explaining that it was not a tactical decision to bring off the fan favourite, but that was not the only grief Saints received.

The players also copped it from the travelling supporters, with Rusk forced to deny that they had given up in the second half.

We already know that Saints require a massive overhaul in the summer, but there also seems to be a growing disconnect between the fans and the club. That could make life in an already difficult division next season an even bigger challenge.

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We asked for your thoughts after Southampton's defeat at Leicester on Saturday.

Here are some of your comments:

Mark: That was a gutless, lazy, pathetic excuse of a performance from Saints. No effort, no desire to get forward, weird substitutions yet again. An absolute car crash display against the second-worst team.

Glenn: Terrible display. The players are supposed to be professional but all season game after game it hasn't changed. They must feel so embarrassed being the worst of the worst and the owners should take full responsibility for this.

Matt: An embarrassment to our city. An embarrassment to the Premier League. Ninety-nine per cent of that team can go, and I also wish we'd never been promoted.

Emil: No leader, no goalscorers, five consecutive poor and deluded managers, no captain, and in so many games this season, no clue. Russell Martin absolutely failed to prepare for the Premier League and left a squad only able to pass sideways and backwards. Totally unfit for 90 minutes of Premier League football. The worst season in my lifetime of supporting them, spanning seven decades.

Lee: The side thoroughly deserves to the labelled the worst Premier League side of all time. Absolutely useless.

Ian: This was as bad as it has ever been. I have seen good times and bad as a Saints fan, but this has to be an all-time low. A complete lack of passion and fight, which, from a fan's perspective, is really unacceptable. I live in hope for next season in the Championship, but realistically live in fear of a second relegation unless we have a complete change of mindset and personnel.

Keith: Only three more matches of misery. Do teams do a lap of dishonour after the final match?

Jack: I watched Saints under Ian Branfoot, and that was terrible. This lot are worse.

Highlights and analysis from Saturday's Four Premier League fixtures, plus the best of the action from Friday's game between Manchester City and Wolves.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Everton 2-2 Ipswich

• Arsenal 1-2 Bournemouth

The latest episode of the Goin' Home With Adam And Jo podcast has landed.

BBC Radio Solent's Adam Blackmore and former Saints player Jo Tessem discuss Saturday's defeat against Leicester.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Emily Salley
BBC Sport journalist

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The end of the season can not come fast enough for Southampton.

Even against the second-worst team in the Premier League, the Saints were outplayed and lacked any sort of cutting edge.

Leicester dominated and the game was put to bed when Jordan Ayew added the Foxes' second before before the break.

It is likely that many Derby County fans thought this was the game that would see Southampton move clear from their longstanding, unwanted points tally record.

But still the Saints stay on course to equal Derby's 11 points from the 2007-08 season.

One point will do the job, but where does it come from? Arsenal have been second-best in the league this season, while Manchester City have recovered from their blip and are chasing Champions League football.

It looks like the trip to Everton, who are winless in their last three, on the penultimate weekend of the season is the Saints' best hope to get that all-important point.

But whether they can do it or not is another story altogether. Interim boss Simon Rusk will certainly need his side to put on a better performance than what they showed at King Power Stadium.

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Simon Rusk spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Southampton's defeat against Leicester: "We started well in the game and we were disappointed with the fashion of the goal. It gave them life and in the end they were worthy of the win.

"We're bottom of the league and it's been a really difficult season. We're lacking confidence and there's only so much you can do for confidence really. We have to keep going. We didn't give up. We're hoping for that one goal that gets us back in it but it never came."

On last three matches to get over 11 points: "The points situation is the points situation. I have inherited seven games in difficult circumstances and I can only take it one game at a time. Hopefully we pick something up in these last three games."

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Defeat in this match confirmed that Southampton will finish bottom of the Premier League this season. It's the third time that the Saints have finished last (also 2004-05 and 2022-23), the joint-most of any side in the competition (Sunderland in 2002-03, 2005-06 and 2016-17).

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Leicester's performance

What did you make of Southampton's display?

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies.

Five matches make up Saturday's Premier League action and BBC Sport will bring you every kick.

• Aston Villa v Fulham (12:30)

• Everton v Ipswich Town - BBC Radio 5 Live

• Leicester City v Southampton

• Arsenal v Bournemouth (17:30) - BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Leicester have been rotten but, somehow, Southampton have been even worse.

It is sad to see Jamie Vardy leaving the Foxes at the end of the season, but maybe this might be the send-off he deserves. I am going with him to score the winner.

These two teams actually served up a thriller at St Mary's Stadium back in October, when Vardy got one of Leicester's goals as they fought back from 2-0 down to win 3-2.

I am expecting the same outcome here, just with a lot less excitement. The readers will go for a draw, I am sure of it, but I am pretty confident about Leicester taking this one.

Sutton's prediction: 1-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

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Earlier, we asked you to name the current Southampton player from a series of clues.

The correct answer is Taylor Harwood-Bellis.

Alex Fletcher
BBC Sport journalist

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With just four games to go in the Premier League this season relegation has been decided.

For the second season in a row, all three promoted clubs have been sent straight back down, and 14 points separates those in the relegation zone and 17th placed West Ham.

Southampton, Leicester City and Ipswich Town have just 10 wins between them this season, and there is still a chance that the Saints finish the campaign as the joint-worst Premier League team of all time.

But where did it all go wrong?

A struggle to survive

According to Opta, this is the worst combined points total of any group of promoted sides at this stage of the season in Premier League history

The three teams have only managed to get 50 points between them - after just 34 games - and are 14 points behind the previous record which was set last year by Sheffield United, Burnley and Luton Town.

While Leicester and Southampton have seen changes in the dugout this season, Ipswich have stuck with Kieran McKenna, but this has not changed their fortunes.

Between them, they have picked up just 21 points at home, with Southampton and Ipswich winning just once in-front of their own fans.

Promoted sides face 'more of a challenge'

And things look set to get even more difficult for those coming up from the Championship.

According to Opta, five of the lowest eight Premier League points totals for promoted sides after 34 games have come in the last eight years. Southampton are currently on the joint-lowest points total ever at this stage of the season, alongside Derby County.

Speaking before his sides relegation, Ipswich boss McKenna said the gap between the Premier League and the Championship "is getting bigger" and that "it's been getting more of a challenge for clubs to be able to bridge that".

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Southampton have faced more shots (605), more shots on target (234) and have a higher xG against tally (78.8) than any other side in the Premier League this season.

On the other hand, Leicester have had fewer shots (299), fewer shots on target (98) and a lower xG tally (29.2) than any other side in the Premier League this season.

Guess the current Southampton player from these three clues:

• I was part of the Saints team that won promotion from the Championship last season.

• I scored my first Premier League goal against Bournemouth.

• I made my international debut earlier this season.

Come back to this page at 17:00 BST for the answer

Sean Byrne
BBC Sport journalist

Simon Rusk has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game at Leicester City (kick-off 15:00).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On his squad's fitness: "Paul Onuachu has been training the last few days so he's back in the mix. We have a pretty clean bill of health at the moment."

• On their most recent game against Fulham: "Lots of really good things to build on. The first half we did really well to get ourselves ahead. It ended up a difficult one to take. But as I've spoken about, it's about making sure we find the balance of looking like a hard team to beat and having a footprint in the game. It was really nice to get a set-piece goal as well."

• On Ross Stewart, who made his first Southampton start in 203 days against Fulham: "I thought he did great. For how long he's been out, starting the game, and it was an intense game too. For him to get through it and be training again this week to try get in the starting team again on Saturday, what a great thing for him and a real positive from the day."

• On opponents Leicester: "They're a team that have some versatility to the way they play. Just like us, they will be drumming home that there's pride at stake. There's no easy Premier League games and although they may have had some difficult home form, they've picked up some decent results away from home. For us, it's about going in on the front foot and making sure we're in the best nick to beat our opponent."

• On if they would play a more attacking style against relegated opposition: "We have to be realistic about the situation I inherited. We've had some difficult results, we are bottom of the league, and we were never going to become solid and be dominant in the game. If we did that when I came in with seven games to go, I'd probably be able to bring world peace as well. I've had to pick a way for this team to play based on the evidence of the season."

• On Adam Lallana's future: "In terms of a playing decision, that's solely with him at the minute. Building up to this game he's on the coaching staff and that'll be a similar format this weekend as well."

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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Southampton defender Ryan Manning, speaking to BBC Radio Solent about not giving up on the club and planning for a better season: "We have to finish this season in a way that we can put it behind us.

"We are going to plan for next season and show the fans that we're going to fight, and we're going to show up and give them a season to be proud of.

"This is a massive football club and everyone in the changing room is committed to it. The opportunity to come here and play is something I never take for granted.

"Everyone is going to show up next season with the goal of getting the club back to where we want to be. It's not fair on the fans to just give up."

Listen to the full clip on BBC Sounds