Saints played their last Premier League game of the season on 28th May, but they don't actually officially cease to become a Premier League club until the 14th June and for those that haven't checked their calendar that is today.

This is not news for many, but for others who have spent the last few weeks berating the club for not appointing a new manager, the good news is that this is likely to happen very quickly now.

Saints have been waiting to officially leave the Premier League before appointing Russell Martin due to compensation issues with Swansea City, the Welsh club are entitled to around £1 million if Martin leaves for a Premier League club, but only £400,000 if it is a Championship club.

Saints would have preferred to have done the deal weeks ago, but the Swans wouldn't play ball, they held the contract to the exact wording and refused to let their manager go unless the Premier League compensation was paid.

Understandably with the reduced income next year, £600,000 is a lot of money and Saints made the call to hold out until we are officially in the Championship, though it seems Swansea City will still try to get the full payment after he has left, claiming that the approach was made when Saints were in the Premier League.

This should hold little water, approaching a manger does not mean you appoint him, clubs do not have to pay compensation to a club for merely speaking to a potential manager.

Swansea appear to have cost themselves money by standing firm, if Martin had been appointed 3 weeks ago then they would have saved a six figure amount in wages when the salaries of the coaching staff he will take with him are added to the total.

The truth is that very little would have changed, Martin would be on holiday if he was still Swansea boss, so would all his players and coaching staff, the Swans are paying him to do nothing.

From a Southampton perspective little would have changed either way by appointing him back in May or waiting three weeks, there are no players here to coach at Staplewood, they are all away on holiday or International duty, unofficially Martin will have been speaking to Director of Football Jason Wilcox about what he wants and who will be leaving etc.

The truth is on the face of things nothing much is happening, but behind the scenes things will have been moving, not just on the playing side but also in the boardroom, that shakeup has already begun with many of those who played a part in the various errors that all added up to relegation.

But today is the day that things start to appear to happen, Russell Martin is expected to be announced as the new man fairly quickly followed by his coaching staff, although it will be a fortnight before the squad returns to training and the transfer window also opens, although don't expect too much in that department for a few weeks.

When it does return initially not much will have changed, no one will leave until after July 1st and some will still be here in August and perhaps playing in the initial Championship games and hoping that they are part of the last minute deadline week rush.

So the next few weeks will be sorting the wheat from the chafe, finding out who will actually be leaving and who will have to stay, either by choice or otherwise.

We also then have to look who we bring in to replace them.

So although today is the day things start to change, apart from pictures of Russell Martin holding the obligatory shirt or wearing the training kit etc, on the surface nothing will stir until July 1st when our players receive their loyalty bonus and can finally leave with a bulging bank account.

But for Saints fans at least the appointment of a manager will show that something is happening, within the next few weeks the scope of the changes will be clearer and we will be able to put an end to last season and look to the future.

What has happened cannot be changed, we can drag ourselves down by continuously harking back to it, but there is no point in that, those who say "Sack the manager" Sack the board" well that has has been done, all three managers of last season have left the club and the CEO & Managing director have also gone.

Now is the time we call Sport Republic to account, but not for the past, but for what they do going forward !

Photo: Action Images

felly1 added 09:30 - Jun 14 Yep, agreed, I'm cautiously optimistic for next season although I do think it could take some time to rid the losing mentality and to lift a beaten and bedraggled fan base.
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SanMarco added 09:49 - Jun 14 Could they not have have met in the middle on this one? £300,000 is not going to make or break our season and you would 'normally' want a manager in place while beginning to make all the many decisions on players. I agree with Nick that what has happened can't be changed and I am cautiously optimistic but SR do need to show us they have learnt lessons. The appointment of Russell Martin needs to turn out to be a good one and the decisions on players need to be fit for (the manager's) purpose. The goodwill at first kick-off in a few weeks will not last long if we look a mess in the early games... We all have our fingers firmly crossed.

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Bowlercow added 11:43 - Jun 14 I hope RuMa turns out to be the right appointment As always I will give him time Considering Ankersun puts so much emphasis on data I am surprised we have gone for someone with relatively poor stats The guy from Blackburn may have fitted us better
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Rednose added 12:18 - Jun 14 Finally the debacle that was 2022/23 season is now over, long overdue changes at the top now made, hopefully we still have a Liebherr involved. What Markus did for us feels even more poignant now, still brings a tear of pride when the faithful chant his name. The losing mentality is temporary and will be gone IMO when the new manager and his staff come in. Good business not to recruit the new guys straight off the bat of negativity. The players involved get away on their hols and come back re-charged ready to fight or leave, whatever is their want. The new management set out a brand new fresh blueprint of how it’s going to be done going forward. So very optimistic for the coming season. We the fans, I think, need to look at ourselves too. Yes beaten and bedraggled by last season, and lets be fair by the last couple of seasons really, with the Club and the Team not really achieving anything to get excited about. So no criticism there. I was impressed with the Forest fans though and wished we could have matched them at St Mary's. When we went there at the end of the season, the way they were responding to their season was premiership retaining desire right there, forget the 12th player, that was the 13th and 14th as well! For 2023/2024 however this is a chance for everyone to reset, regain the optimism that Markus Liebherr gave us, off the back of those dark days, and create a positive supportive atmosphere that the players will want to work their butts off for no matter what. Not just go through the motions, like we all did. An atmosphere that visiting teams, not matter how up for it they will be (and they will, cos we’re fallen elite) they see we’re not a club there for the taking. I may not agree with some of the things that go on in the Northam and Itchen North stands, but they have the passion and the noise that quite frankly everyone in stadium needs to adopt. Ok stand up if you love the Saints, may be a bit far for most, but to reiterate, look at what Forest fans did against us. To the every woman, man and child they let it be known their team wasn’t losing that day. Apparently according to a Forest fan, they had been doing that for a while, but against us it seemed a lot more energised. So if we want a complete polar opposite to last season, we the fans need to get in line too. Not just sit there with our pies and brought in snacks, clapping back passes and missed shots, when not stuffing our face allows, but actually getting involved. Sing and chant loud and proud, ohh and ahh all the way to the Championship title and back to the Prem with a bang. The future is looking bright in Red and White!

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felly1 added 12:33 - Jun 14 Rednose.. Although you are right to say the Forest Fans were fully behind their team and played a part in driving the Forest players towards victory. The point is... This was their first season back in the big time after more than 20 years in the lower leagues so naturally they have a buoyant fan base enjoying their moment in the sun. Plus they had a manager and team that gave them them hope because for all their limitations they were fighting for their shirt whilst we had a bunch of dispirited, confused players who looked like half of them couldn't care less. Give them 3 or 4 years of endless home dafeats and crap signings and let's see if they're roaring on their team so enthusiastically!

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IWOZTHERE added 15:26 - Jun 14 All I see since Christmas is time wasted. Appointing a man who's preference is reported to be the very tactics which I believe took us down, seems madness. All new managers bring their own 'baggage.' If Martin is as reported, it will be months before SR act. Months of player and supporter discontent. Next season may be wasted in its entirety. Soon, with departures, we should have a clean slate. New players with a fresh attitude and hopefully the likes of Alcaraz driving us forward. That could be lost if Martin's system is inflicted on the players. We could end this season in the same position we are in now... or worse.

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underweststand added 17:51 - Jun 14 If most of the rumours about players moves away are halfway true, we will see a mass of new names in the first team squad and there will still be a bit of quality left , and despite a lower level of football, many of them will look a bit better down at Championship level. It has to be said that some of "better" players deserve to stay in the top tier, and many of the others .... just don't come upto scratch. Sales should generate enough to balance the books, after the fruitless spending spree we saw in January, and some of the new faces may well be free transfers /or lower fees. Some of our "rising stars" are still U21 and won't be counted in whatever max. squad level there is in Championship.(Prem. was 25, I think). This is a real chance to reconstruct the club both on and off the pitch, and hopefully we will see a revival of fortunes next season.

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Centurion added 15:21 - Jun 15 Is the headline supposed to be ironic?
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SaintPaulVW added 13:38 - Jun 16 You know, 2 days on, I'm thinking that it probably wasn't.
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