The visit of Southampton today should be a vivid reminder to West Ham that not all clubs relegated from the Premier League gain promotion automatically the following season.
The Saints brought in Will Still following their demotion, a young manager who had quietly built up a strong reputation in France. Yet, having had to sell key players including Mateus Fernandes to West Ham, he left the club in November 2025, with just two wins in thirteen leaving Southampton 21st in the Championship. Still subsequently returned to France and became Auxerre’s head coach in June of this year.
Hammers’ fan Will Still’s managerial travails are well known: Hopefully he’s back on the path toward success
Tonda Eckert replaced Still as manager, and led the club into the play off’s, winning the manager of the month three times. Yet infamously the club were expelled from the play-offs and suspended four points at the beginning of this season for rule breaches and what was reported by the press as “Spygate!”
Despite this, the Saints are currently on 17 points and in a play-off position. Indeed without the deduction they would be only one point behind the Hammers. The South coast club are expected to be in and around the promotion places, and are under immense pressure to get back to the promised land of Englands top tier.
Their recent struggles are proof that life in the Championship offers few guarantees.
With Middlesbrough beating Bolton 5-1 last night at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, West Ham have fallen out of the automatic promotion places. A win today will steady the nerves, and I’m predicting a 2-1 victory for us.
COYI!