SLICK SAINTS BEST-RUN CLUB

WITHOUT a doubt, Southampton are the best-run club in the Premier League. There can be no debate about that.

The south-coast side have to survive the kind of regular upheaval of playing and managerial staff that would have been a death knell for many other outfits – but not at St Mary’s. Go back to the days of Mauricio Pochettino. In his 18-month tenure at the club, he had Morgan Schneiderlin, Adam Lallana. Nathaniel Clyne, Luke Shaw, Dejan Lovren, Calum Chambers and Victor Wanyama with him.

He left in 2014 to take over at Tottenham and those players have also left for various destinations.

Ronald Koeman took over from Pochettino. He was there for two years and left for Everton. Another turnover. Frenchman Claude Puel was recruited – and again the transition has been seamless. A look at the league table provides the evidence. The Saints are currently seventh and are also in the semi-finals of the League Cup.

Not bad for a club that loses managers and players on such a regular basis.

How do they do it? “I think it is just a case of being such a well-run club,” said midfielder Steven Davis, after Southampton had put Arsenal out of the League Cup. “You have to say the recruitment policy is tremendous.”

Something of an understatement, that. With defender Virgil van Dijk, bought from Celtic for £13million, being linked with a move away now, it is safe to say that Saints will find a replacement if he leaves.

They are that kind of club.