How do you sum up Southampton’s season?
Well, the obvious answer is to split it into two halves.
While the club’s results indicate they adopted that approach, The Athletic has attempted to provide some consistency when assessing what proved to be a topsy-turvy campaign for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.
Player of the year
There are several contenders including Jannik Vestergaard, Stuart Armstrong and Kyle Walker-Peters, with Che Adams also kicking on from last season in front of goal. But James Ward-Prowse has been the heartbeat of this Southampton side and achieved the remarkable feat of not missing a single minute of football.
The central midfielder has also had his most productive campaign in front of the goal, scoring eight and creating another seven. This has seen him cement his place as the Premier League’s undisputed set-piece maestro. Is there even a close second?
While he may not be the most vocal captain in the club’s history, the 26-year-old leads by example and embodies hard work, dedication, professionalism and a good attitude.
