Football League World
·21 November 2023
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·21 November 2023
Southampton entered the most recent international break on the back of an eight-match unbeaten run in the Championship, putting aside a bit of a wobble from the start of September to put themselves back among the promotion contenders.
They were made to work for it, but the Saints were able to come away from their home clash with West Brom last weekend with a 2-1 victory, pushing them back up to fourth in the table after Preston North End had leapfrogged them on the Friday night.
Russell Martin's side will soon return to action though this coming Saturday when they make the trip up to West Yorkshire to take on Darren Moore's struggling Huddersfield Town - let's look at the latest Saints news ahead of that.
Since his eight-figure move from Man City in the summer, Shea Charles has not had it easy at Southampton as he has not been a regular starter under Martin despite his price-tag.
Still only 20 years of age, Charles is still settling into life on the south coast, and perhaps Martin has not found his best settled position yet as he has featured in multiple roles in defence and midfield.
Charles is also of course a Northern Ireland international with eight caps to his name in his young career so far, and one of his team-mates at that level - Middlesbrough defender Paddy McNair - has sung the praises of the youngster.
“I think Shea is a brilliant player, I think he can play at the highest level,” McNair told the Belfast Telegraph.
“When he came in under Ian Baraclough, you could see the ability he had, and in every game he plays, he performs really well.
"He has that composure about him and he makes the game look easy.”
Big news emerged in English football last week as Everton were deducted 10 points from their Premier League tally due to their breach of profit and sustainability rules, having gone £19.5 million over the £105 million limit.
Now, some clubs who were in the relegation battles over the last two seasons with the Toffees are considering whether or not to take legal action and pursue compensation due to the independent commission's ruling - and one of them is Southampton.
David Phillips KC, the chair of the commission, has revealed that the Saints, as well as Burnley, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City and Leeds, all have potential claims against the Merseyside outfit, and Southampton are now weighing up their options.
Following his explosive start to the season which saw him score in his first three Championship matches, Che Adams has had a very dry spell in the months that have followed.
The Scotland international has not always been starting matches and with his contract set to expire in the summer and no new deal signed, there is a chance that the Saints look to cash in on a player in January that isn't quite making the impact that was expected.
And journalist Dean Jones, speaking to GiveMeSport, believes that Adams will have to leave in January to get his career back on track, having seemed out of sorts since the transfer window closed in September.
One surprising face that has emerged at Southampton's training ground in the last week is Maya Yoshida.
The Japanese centre-back played 194 times for the Saints between 2012 and 2020, and whilst the 35-year-old is currently contracted to LA Galaxy until the end of the year, Yoshida has returned to England to keep his fitness up in the off-season.
Speaking on his return to familiar surroundings, Yoshida told the club's official media channels - via the Daily Echo: "I really appreciate it first of all and I think it’s not usual.
"I really appreciate what they have done for me and it’s a strange feeling as well.
"After I left the club, I have never seen someone come back and train like this, so I really appreciate it and I really feel amazing."