At a time when several of our underperformers were more concerned about their next move than battling for survival, some of our players have been more concerned with making amends.

A lot of Saints fans have already been talking about what we need to get out of the Championship next season in an upwards direction.

Most of them are agreed on one thing, that is we need to get in some players who have experience in the Championship and more to the point are proven at it.

The name on some lips is Nathan Tella who after getting only 1 goal in 33 Premier League games including 17 starts for Southampton, only managed a single goal.

The cry is bring him back to St Mary's after a season on loan with Burnley that has seen him score 17 goals.

The dilemma for Saints is that his stock is high, with two years on his contract some good youngsters on the books,, do they risk keep him and risk him not repeating this seasons tally and leave cheaply next summer or do they cash in now.

But if they want a man proven in scoring goals in the Championship, then they already have that man on their books, when they signed Adam Armstrong two years ago, he had scored 28 goals for Blackburn Rovers prompting Saints to sign him, the previous season he had netted 16, as a youngster on loan at Coventry, he netted 20 goals in League One.

We have just what we need already on our books and whilst he might not have quite cut it in scoring at Premier League level, he can certainly do it at the level we need next season.

Indeed when assessing who stays and go we have to be pragmatic, the fact that some players didn't cut it in the Premier League this season, does not mean they will be just as bad in the Championship. One player who may benefit could be James Bree, a Nathan Jones panic by, he was damned by association, but he could be vital at Championship level.

But a big key could be Adam Armstrong , he has been linked with several clubs for next season, but he has already spoken of how he wants to stay at St Mary's and help the club back into the Premier League and he could save us a big fee that even a Championship goal scorer commands these days.

Whilst Armstrong has shown his goal scoring prowess only rarely, it could also be said that for most of his two seasons he has rarely been used as a central striker, he has been used as more of a winger and to be blunt he was no worse than most of the other candidates for that position.

No one could accuse Armstrong of lacking work rate, he played were chosen and put 100% in every game, his detractors will point to his goal record, but that is in the Premier League, now we are in a League where he is proven.

This season's Championship top scorer Chuba Akpom scored 28, the 2nd leading scorer got 21, that puts in perspective how difficult it is to score even at that level.

In the next few weeks we will learn who wants to go and who wants to stay, we should judge each on his own merits and in the case of Adam Armstrong he is a player who is proven doing the job at the level we need him to do it next season, he ticks all the boxes.

Photo: Action Images

cocklebreath added 08:36 - May 17 Ffs Nick I’m sure you’re on a wind up most of the time
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dirk_doone added 09:02 - May 17 Oh no!
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obelisk added 09:14 - May 17 I'm sure AA could do a job for Saints just so long as they actually try attacking the opposition for a change rather than fannying around at the back and ignoring forward runners. AA is another in a seemingly long list of natural goalscorers who've arrived at Saints only to have that flair knocked out of them. I'm finding it hard to think of a player who has actually improved during their time under Ralph and Selles. We've now ended up with a demoralised squad that have a losing mentality. That has to change sharpish.

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mascott514 added 09:21 - May 17 It's the same for most players, its a punt unless you're owned by a Middle East country. You can spend a lot on one player who does nothing and get a cheap player in who gels. My feeling is AA needs a change of scene.I like is work rate, and maybe he would bash out 20 goals.I feel we wouldn't give him time. Also,I would hope we are dominating teams rather than sitting back, and I think he serves better on the break. I wouldn't be upset if he stayed, because I think you are right, he works really hard, but I don't think he is gonna be the one.

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SaintsLondonWest added 09:53 - May 17 I thought it must be one of your April 1st spoof stories Nick. Then realised it is May. Adam Armstrong has got nowhere since joining the Saints and is one of the factors we have failed up front. Good luck to Adam but he needs to move on this summer.
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highfield49 added 10:13 - May 17 Surely the pressing need is to appoint a proper manager and coaching staff who will have input into those who are no longer required? We have Tella, Armstrong and Adams on the books, and they've all scored at a lower level, but are any of them going to fit in with next season's game plan? It's unlikely much will happen before the end of June in terms of player recruitment so let's get the essentials done quickly and hire a fit for purpose man to lead the recovery.

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Bowlercow added 10:15 - May 17 A proven championship striker who actually wants to be here? Good on you Adam I watched Luton and Sunderland last night Two of the best championship teams but I saw nothing to worry us IF we get the right coach and keep the right players
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andoverpedro added 10:16 - May 17 It could just work , with Armstong , Tella and either Adams or Gyokeres up front with Smallbones providing quick forward passes . when ever i saw smallbones play he was always forward thinking and wanted to pass it quickly unlike most of the current squad who fiddle and diddle and end up going backwards . smallbones and Alcaraz could provide the ammunition where we play them and in what shape i dont know . above all the ball needs to be played quickly at all levels and we just cant do that at the moment is it

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PatfromPoole added 10:41 - May 17 Why would Gyokeres join us? He is Prem quality. Brighton must regret selling him for a pittance.
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felly1 added 12:01 - May 17 My first thoughts are Noooooo!! But to be fair he may do a decent job for us at Championship level. It will probably depend on which manager we bring in and would his style fit in. It's a gamble as always.. Stick or Twist... So much of this is to do with confidence.
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DellBoyWally added 12:06 - May 17 Tony Mowbray next on potential manager list. Well, he has experience! Would Tella want to come back? He is still contracted for 2? years. Will Smallbone has definitely developed. And Dom Ballard is due a run in the first team. AdamA owes us; and could be highly effective. Will CheA stay? Like AdamA he owes us. And we have Aribo. Plenty of forwards and midfield general. What about defence? I'd love Lyanco to stay. Maybe first team captain. Play alongside C-C? Memories of Williams and Knapp? Bree and Peraud at FBs. There's the basis of a decent team at ZERO COST!

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MSB added 13:00 - May 17 GRAHAM POTTER ASAP
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pintsizedsaint added 13:57 - May 17 Anybody dissing or doubting Adam Armstrong needs to go watch his YouTube reels from his time at Blackburn. He’s a great talent, and the classic example of the poor management and development seen at SFC for some time now. He’s completely shot of form and confidence and that’s mostly down to the club. The fact his work rate is still so high - and has outwardly committed to the club - is testament to his character, he’s the kind of player this club needs both in the Championship under the right manager and team, and back in the premier league.

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SanMarco added 14:03 - May 17 In the second division we will need a set of players who are good at second division level. The three we have got who who seem to fit the bill are AA, Che and Tella. It should be horses for courses. Lawrie Mac had a cup-winning team in 76 but he then assembled a promotion winning team. I doubt the next manager will be able to throw in a cup win but he needs to do the same. If that next manager wants proven second division goal scoring ability then why not these three? We know that at least one of them is not of top division quality but we can worry about that when we get up. Having said that AA is the only one who might stay because SR will be in 'cashing in' mode and offers will come for Tella and Che.

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underweststand added 15:50 - May 17 I agree with highfield 49 (above) ...Although I can hear the groans from here, it's hard to deny that there is a footballer in their somewhere, and look on You Tube and watch Adam Armstrong's goal tally at Blackburn - you can see why, and no-one denies he has pace. He played up front as an out-and-out no 9 and scored from all angles. However, with Adams as no.1 striker, Adam has nearly always been played wide out on the left and had few goal chances, and was often the scapegoat for a bad first half and too often subbed out in a panic change of formation. There's no guarantee of who might still be here next season, but if he is ever to become an established striker for us - the first month or two next season will show us.

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Frank_Xerox added 16:39 - May 17 Player commits to remaining on the contract of a lifetime shocker! Cynicism aside, it's good to read some sensible comments here about a lad vilified elsewhere, but who seems to give his all - even if it hasn't been good enough at Premier League level. Played in the right position and given opportunities in an attacking team, there's no reason he can't reproduce what he's done in the Championship before.

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Frank_Xerox added 16:39 - May 17 Player commits to remaining on the contract of a lifetime shocker! Cynicism aside, it's good to read some sensible comments here about a lad vilified elsewhere, but who seems to give his all - even if it hasn't been good enough at Premier League level. Played in the right position and given opportunities in an attacking team, there's no reason he can't reproduce what he's done in the Championship before.

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Block8 added 17:03 - May 17 We purchased two strikers from championship sides who moved the ball forward and got crosses in the box. However we chose to play in a totally different way, to what they were used to, and put very few balls into the box. Hard to understand why they stopped scoring!
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