The 2009–10 season was Southampton's fifth consecutive season in The Football League and their first season in League One. Having been relegated the previous season, Southampton looked to reclaim their place in the Championship by being promoted in 2009–10. On 28 March 2010, The Saints won the League Trophy for the first time, defeating Carlisle United 4–1 at Wembley. On 25 April, however, Southampton's hopes of a playoff place were ended after Huddersfield Town beat bottom-place side Stockport County 6–0 to claim the final place. The Saints eventually finished in 7th position, just one place and seven points below the play-offs.
Administration and change of ownership The club ended the previous season with its parent company, Southampton Leisure Holdings PLC in administration. As a result the club entered the 2009–10 season with a ten-point deduction imposed by The Football League.
On 8 July 2009 the administrators confirmed that the club had been sold to a buyer "owned and controlled by Markus Liebherr". On 9 July 2009 Mark Wotte was sacked as Head Coach with Stewart Henderson taking temporary charge. The club confirmed that the search for the new manager had already begun. They said in a statement that the decision is part of a wider strategic plan being implemented to improve all aspects of the club's operations, both on and off the field.
On 17 July 2009 the club confirmed the appointment of Alan Pardew as the new First Team Manager. On the opening day of the season Saints forced a 1–1 draw against Millwall, with Matthew Paterson netting the club's first goal in League One. Following this, the Saints made their first big signing under Markus Liebherr as they unveiled new striker Rickie Lambert who was purchased on 10 August 2009, for an initial £800,000, which could rise to £1m subject to appearances, from fellow League One side Bristol Rovers.
Liebherr also brought in Italian businessman Nicola Cortese to look after the club's business interests on his behalf.
As well as Rickie Lambert, Pardew was given the funds to complete a string of other signings to rebuild the squad including: Dean Hammond, Radhi Jaïdi, Graeme Murty, Dan Harding, David Connolly, Michail Antonio, Papa Waigo, Lee Barnard, José Fonte, Danny Seaborne, Jon Otsemobor and Jason Puncheon, meaning that by the end of the January transfer window, Southampton had spent over £3 million on players, a significantly larger amount than any other League one club.
Pre-season
League One
FA Cup
League Cup
League Trophy
Squad statistics No.Pos.Nat.NameLeagueFA CupLeague CupLeague TrophyTotalDisciplineApps.GoalsApps.GoalsApps.GoalsApps.GoalsApps.Goals1GKKelvin Davis400402040500502DFDan Harding423402051534803DFWayne Thomas10(5)041204(1)120(6)2604MFJason Puncheon19300000000405DFChris Perry11(1)040103(1)019(2)0206DFRadhi Jaïdi26(1)140003033(1)1507FWRickie Lambert44(1)2952216357(1)35208MFSimon Gillett0(2)00(1)00(1)01(1)01(5)0009FWPapa Waigo11(24)631004(2)418(26)113010MFPaul Wotton12(14)02(1)0203(2)019(17)00011MFLee Holmes2(3)01(1)0000(1)03(5)01012DFJosé Fonte2100000302405013GKTommy Forecast00000000000014MFDean Hammond4054100504968016DFGraeme Murty5(1)01020008(1)00017FWLee Barnard14(6)91(1)0000015(7)93018DFJoseph Mills8(8)01(2)0002(1)011(11)03019MFMorgan Schneiderlin35(2)1401(1)04044(3)18220MFAdam Lallana441551225256204021MFAnthony Pulis00000000000023MFLloyd James28(2)230204(1)037(3)25024FWKayne McLaggon00000000000026FWJake Thomson0(4)0000(1)0000(5)00027FWJamie White00000000000028GKBartosz Białkowski6(1)01000209(1)00029MFOscar Gobern0(4)00(2)00(1)0000(7)01030MFJack Boyle00000000000031MFRyan Doble00000000000032GKAndrej Pernecký00000000000033DFJack Saville00000000000034MFCallum McNish0(1)00000000(1)00035DFDanny Seaborne11(5)000000011(5)01036MFGaryn Preen00000000000037MFMichail Antonio14(14)33(2)2005(1)222(17)72038FWDavid Connolly9(11)512001(1)011(12)71040DFJon Otsemobor1900000001900041MFAlex Oxlade-Chamberlain0(2)00000000(2)00044MFBen Reeves000000000000Players with appearances who finished their season out on loan15DFOlly Lancashire1(1)00(2)010002(3)00022DFLee Molyneux00000000000025GKMichael Poke00000000000039DFAaron Martin200000002010Players with appearances who left the club before the end of the season4FWMarek Saganowski3(3)000100(1)04(4)0009FWGrzegorz Rasiak1(2)0000(1)0001(3)00012DFNeal Trotman17(1)200001(1)018(2)26017FWMatt Paterson4(3)10(1)01(1)0005(5)12035MFJacob Mellis7(5)000101(1)09(6)010
Most appearances Pos.Nat.NameLeagueFA CupLeague CupLeague TrophyTotal1FWRickie Lambert441502060571582MFAdam Lallana440502050560563DFDan Harding420402050530534GKKelvin Davis400402040500505MFDean Hammond400400050490496MFMorgan Schneiderlin352401140443477FWPapa Waigo11243000421826448MFLloyd James282302041373409MFMichail Antonio141432005122173910MFPaul Wotton1214212032191736
Top goalscorers Pos.Nat.NameLeagueFA CupLeague CupLeague TrophyTotal1FWRickie Lambert294525123635580.602MFAdam Lallana154415222520560.353FWPapa Waigo63513004611440.254FWLee Barnard9200200009220.405FWDavid Connolly5202100027230.30MFMichail Antonio3282500267390.177MFDean Hammond5401400056490.128DFDan Harding3420402154530.079MFJason Puncheon3190000003190.1510DFNeal Trotman2180000022200.10DFWayne Thomas0151402152260.07MFLloyd James2300302052400.05
Transfers Players transferred inDatePos.NameClubFeeRef.10 August 2009FW Rickie Lambert Bristol Rovers£1 million19 August 2009MF Dean Hammond Colchester UnitedUndisclosed4 November 2009DF Aaron Martin EastleighUndisclosed9 January 2010DF José Fonte Crystal PalaceUndisclosed13 January 2010DF Danny Seaborne Exeter CityUndisclosed14 January 2010DF Jon Otsemobor Norwich CityFree22 January 2010FW Lee Barnard Southend UnitedUndisclosed30 January 2010MF Jason Puncheon Plymouth ArgyleUndisclosedPlayers transferred outDatePos.NameClubFeeRef.2 June 2009MF Nathan Dyer Swansea City£400,00029 June 2009FW David McGoldrick Nottingham Forest£1 million1 July 2009MF Andrew Surman Wolverhampton Wanderers£1.2 million21 July 2009FW Jason Euell BlackpoolFree27 August 2009FW Grzegorz Rasiak ReadingUndisclosed22 January 2010FW Matt Paterson Southend UnitedExchange27 January 2010FW Marek Saganowski AtromitosFreeFree agents signedDatePos.NameFormer clubDate releasedRef.21 July 2009DF Dan Harding Ipswich Town21 May 20095 August 2009DF Graeme Murty Reading15 May 20092 September 2009DF Radhi Jaïdi Birmingham City15 May 20098 October 2009FW David Connolly Sunderland1 June 2009Players loaned inStart datePos.NameClubEnd dateRef.14 August 2009MF Jacob Mellis Chelsea2 January 201020 August 2009DF Neal Trotman Preston North End2 January 20108 September 2009FW Papa Waigo FiorentinaEnd of season5 October 2009MF Michail Antonio ReadingEnd of seasonPlayers loaned outStart datePos.NameClubEnd dateRef.14 August 2009GK Tommy Forecast Grimsby Town14 September 20091 September 2009GK Michael Poke Torquay UnitedEnd of season17 September 2009MF Oscar Gobern Milton Keynes Dons17 October 200928 September 2009GK Bartosz Białkowski Barnsley5 October 20092 October 2009DF Ryan Tafazolli Salisbury City2 November 20097 October 2009MF Anthony Pulis Lincoln City7 January 20109 October 2009FW Jamie White Eastleigh9 December 200912 October 2009MF Simon Gillett Doncaster Rovers12 December 200924 October 2009DF Olly Lancashire Grimsby Town24 December 200927 October 2009MF Jake Thomson Torquay United27 January 20101 February 2010DF Olly Lancashire Grimsby TownEnd of season3 March 2010DF Aaron Martin Salisbury CityEnd of season25 March 2010DF Lee Molyneux Port ValeEnd of seasonPlayers releasedDatePos.NameSubsequent clubJoin dateRef.25 June 2009DF Michael Svensson Halmstad1 August 201130 June 2009FW Bradley Wright-Phillips Plymouth Argyle15 July 200930 June 2009FW Stern John Crystal Palace30 July 2009
References