Football Season Review

Nigel Adkins masterminded back-to-back promotions from League One to the top flight as Southampton stunned the division by remaining in the automatic promotion places for the entire season, eventually securing second place behind champions, Reading. It was a fairytale season for the Saints who took the momentum from last season's League One promotion and stormed the Championship with the same aplomb. St. Mary's was once again a fortress for the Reds, winning 16 of their 23 matches on home soil. They were equally hard to beat away from the south coast, losing just seven times on their travels. Striker Rickie Lambert was undeniably the stand-out performer for Adkins' side, bagging the golden boot in the division with 27 goals to his name. Not only did Lambert claim the Saints' player of the season tag, he also bagged the award for the entire division and deservedly so. Their success was also built upon the solid foundations of a reliable goalkeeper and consistent central defensive pairing. Veteran keeper, Kelvin Davis is a more than competent performer at this level, while centre backs Jos Hooiveld and Jose Fonte immediately formed a watertight partnership in the middle of defence. Saints will naturally require summer additions to give them a chance of staying up, but just competing at the top level once again is a tremendous achievement in itself.

Player of the Season: Rickie Lambert