Today’s episode carries us down to the South Coast. Now, for many of us, Brighton notwithstanding, the South Coast hardly conjures up an image of hip and trendy. But five years ago, Southampton Football Club had garnered themselves just such an image, with a savvily run youth academy and a club blueprint that had many neutrals impressed. 

In recent seasons, this image quickly fell away and, by last season, had reached its nadir as Mark Hughes arrived at the club. From the ridiculous to the sublime, this season saw Southampton got from nailed on relegation candidates to potential reclaimers of their former reputation as a savvily run club. 

The catalyst for this change was Ralph Hasenhuttl, newly arrived from RB Leipzig. With a summer under his belt, will the Austrian be able to push Southampton back up the table to where they used to find themselves? Or has the landscape of the Premier League changed so much in recent years that it will be an uphill struggle?  

Joining us today is a familiar face from the world of football media: Alex Stewart. Alex is head of strategy for Tifo Football, the best football channel on YouTube. He also produces tactical content for Tifo, appears on the Tifo Football podcast, and has written widely about the game for various outlets.