LONDON :Southampton’s 3-1 loss at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday confirmed their relegation from the Premier League with seven games left and their goal now is to avoid being branded the worst team ever with the lowest points total.
The south-coast club, who earned promotion to the top-flight last season, have 10 points after 31 games to sit rock bottom and 22 points from the safety zone.
Relegation has been on the cards for some time as a dire Southampton fell to their 25th league defeat this season.
But they still need two more points to avoid the ignominy of finishing as the worst team in Premier League history – a label that has stuck to the 2007-08 Derby County side who finished the campaign with 11 points.
“We want to get as many points as we can until the end of the season,” Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale told Sky Sports.
“No one wants that record… but we will do what we can to get more points on the board.”
Manager Ivan Juric, who took over in December and has overseen only two wins in all competitions, is desperate to ensure he does not go into the history books for the wrong reasons.
“We have to avoid that record, do our best. It cannot happen,” the Croatian said.
“We know that we are in a bad situation and today was a certain thing. I cannot say anything bad about the players, it was a really tough year for everyone.”
INEVITABLE RELEGATION
Southampton captain Jan Bednarek gave an honest assessment of the team.
“Today is just official but we knew for a few weeks that relegation was coming,” he said.
“Hopefully, we can perform better in the last seven games. We want to get more points, I don’t think 10 is enough.”
Their run of games does not get any easier with Aston Villa, Manchester City and Arsenal to visit St Mary’s Stadium before the end of the season.
Despite their abject performances, the travelling support were in full voice at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, with the players and coach staying back on the pitch to acknowledge the fans.
“It’s a difficult day, a tough day. But I see the fans, how they love their players and their team. It’s something incredible,” Juric added.
“This experience has to serve to create something stronger than this.”
Ramsdale, who has suffered relegation before with Bournemouth and Sheffield United, said some Saints players were experiencing it for the first time.
“There will be a lot of emotions from them over the next few days. The lads who have been here before, we have to try and pick the young boys up,” he said.
“This group did incredible things last season. Nobody will want to jump ship with seven games to go. We are tight and we have just got to pull each other through now.”
