Three Southampton players must prove themselves to be Premier League quality against Newcastle United.
The Saints will face off with Newcastle United in their opening game of the 2024/25 Premier League season, in which they will be hoping to pull off an upset at St James’ Park.
Russell Martin’s side may not be expected to come away with all three points against a side that will potentially be pushing for European spots this campaign, however it will be crucial that the Saints at least make a good account of themselves that they can carry on for the following weeks.
Southampton have made several signings this summer and have a new-look side in comparison to the team that won promotion in the 2023/24 Championship season via the play-offs.
As a result, squad depth is brimming in some areas, however there remains questions over the quality of some players in-and-around the squad.
Cameron Archer
The new Saints striker was signed on Friday, in which he has arrived with a hefty £15million price-tag following his move from Aston Villa.
There are no doubts over Cameron Archer’s quality as he joins the side, however there remains questions as to whether this can translate into the Premier League.
With Sheffield United in the 2023/24 season, he scored just the four goals, something that would be deemed unsatisfactory if he repeated that fate this campaign, and he must prove from the start that he can provide a goalscoring impact for Southampton.
Ryan Manning
The ex-Swansea City full-back joined the club in July 2023, however he has struggled to fully cement a place in the Southampton side.
With the new signing of Yukinara Sugawara, alongside Kyle Walker-Peters staying at the club, it will be difficult to see Manning get a lot of gametime.
However, it could still be a case that Ryan Manning is brought into the side after playing a decent part in pre-season, but if so, he must prove that he can provide sufficient competition at full-back and ensure that the other two wing-back’s spot in the side is far from guaranteed.
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Adam Lallana
The new signing that Southampton fans are most eagerly anticipating, however have no idea what to expect from is Adam Lallana, who returned to the club exactly 10 years after he departed for Liverpool.
At 36-years-old, it will be surprising if the former English international is given a starting spot, however there will certainly be a lot to prove in terms of whether he can make a significant difference when brought off from the bench.
The signing has been made out of nostalgia, however there shouldn’t be any ruling out that he can still play a big part in Southampton’s season.