Southampton’s resurgence in the second half of this season nearly earned the Saints a place in the top two and an FA Cup final, but Tonda Eckert’s efforts proved to be too little too late, as they must settle for a place in the play-offs.
Southampton will be heading into the play-offs sky-high on confidence, with their form in the second half of the season being the best in the division, ahead of the likes of Coventry City, Ipswich Town, and Middlesbrough.
Unfortunately for the Saints, a slow start to the campaign hindered their chances of breaking into the top two, despite a scintillating run of just one defeat in their last 23 games in all competitions, that being to Manchester City, where they took the lead at Wembley in the semi-final.
A 3-1 victory on the final day away to Preston North End means they finished 4th, level on points with Middlesbrough, who they will take on in the play-off semi-finals for another date at Wembley.
Eckert made some crucial decisions in the January window, with Cyle Larin replacing top-scorer Adam Armstrong up top, in a move which initially raised eyebrows, but proved to be a masterstroke.
Though none have arguably been more important than the one they made with the goalkeeper, in what has been a truly season-inspiring decision from the German head coach, though Southampton may have to face a fresh issue in that area in the summer.
Gavin Bazunu’s loan move to Stoke City is unlikely to turn permanent after Viktor Johansson signs a fresh deal with the Potters
Gavin Bazunu spent the first half of the campaign as Southampton’s first-choice shot-stopper, though he was rotated on occasion with Alex McCarthy.
The Irishman had a tricky spell over the years at St Mary’s and, unfortunately for him, that wasn’t to change this campaign, as by the time January rolled around, Eckert had identified the goalkeeper as an area of weakness and decided to bring in Israeli keeper Daniel Peretz on loan from Bayern Munich.
Bazunu headed out on loan to Stoke City to replace the injured Viktor Johansson, after the Swede underwent surgery on a fractured shoulder, and provided competition for Tommy Simkin.
However, after just one appearance for the Potters, in which he kept a clean sheet in a goalless draw at home to Queens Park Rangers, Bazunu would pick up an injury in training, ruling him out for six weeks.
Since returning from injury, the 24-year-old hasn’t covered himself in glory, with mistakes against both Wrexham and Millwall leading to goals and vindicating Southampton’s decision to allow him to leave.
In the deal that saw him join Stoke on loan, an £8 million option-to-buy was inserted in the contract, which, even at the time, looked steep, but given what has happened since, Mark Robins’ side almost certainly won’t be taking that option.
Johansson has signed a fresh four-year deal in the Potteries, cementing his place as the club’s number one for the immediate future, meaning that it is almost certain that the Irishman will return to the South Coast this summer.
Regardless of which division Southampton are playing in next season, Bazunu almost certainly won’t be playing a part for them, and with one year left on his deal at St Mary’s, they may be trying to get any sort of value they can for the shot-stopper before his terms expire in 2027, with his immediate future in doubt, and something Eckert must address.
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Tonda Eckert must make a big decision on the future of Gavin Bazunu at Southampton this summer
Since Peretz joined on loan from Bayern, few keepers in the Championship have outshone his exploits in goal.
Heading into the play-offs, the 25-year-old has prevented 6.54 goals from going in, according to FotMob, putting him right up there alongside Coventry’s Carl Rushworth, despite him playing just half the season.
Southampton have an option to buy Peretz from Bayern for around €8million (£6.9 million), and given his displays, they will almost certainly be triggering this, regardless of whether they’re in the Championship or Premier League next year.
Bazunu, meanwhile, will be preparing to return to Southampton over the next few weeks, where his future is up in the air.
According to FotMob, the Irishman has allowed 8.55 more goals than expected this campaign, ranking him as statistically the worst in the Championship in this metric.
Where his future lies remains to be seen, as Eckert will have to make a big decision on Bazunu’s future this summer.