SOUTHAMPTON SEEMED TO be the ideal kind of club for Gavin Bazunu when he joined permanently from Manchester City last summer.
They had just completed their 10th season in the Premier League. Successive 15th-place finishes, on the back of 11th and 16th, hardly set the world alight yet you imagine it was exactly the kind of robust, sustainable mediocrity that those in charge cherished to maintain their part of The Big Show.
The Premier League millions kept rolling in.
The TV deals kept everyone satisfied.
The show was kept on the road.
How quickly it can all unravel.
Three managers and one relegation later, Bazunu is readying himself for life in the Championship.
Hardly a career-threatening predicament for a 21-year-old who got an early taste of the Premier League following his emergence as the Republic of Ireland’s No.1 on the back of loan spells with Rochdale in League Two and Portsmouth in League One.
Those displays prompted Southampton to agree a deal worth up to €18 million with City.
A fourth boss – Russell Martin – was appointed in the summer as the Saints prepared for this moment: either the start of the resurrection or the beginning of purgatory.
The visit to Sheffield Wednesday for the opening Championship game of the season offers an ominous example to Bazunu and the club’s faithful of just how far a club can fall.
And for how long.
More than 20 years have now passed since Wednesday, one of the founding members of the Premier League in 1992, suffered relegation.
Southampton have endured a similar fate during that time, of course, but their two seasons in the third tier from 2009-11 eventually led to the kind of revival Wednesday could only wish for.
They have had 18 permanent managers since 2000, and even after Darren Moore secured a dramatic promotion via the League One play-off final last May, on the back of overturning a 4-0 deficit to Peterborough United in the semi-final, they were in the market for another after failing to agree terms on a new contract.
He was replaced by Xisco Muñoz, unveiled by owner Dejphon Chansiri in a press conference that descended into farce when the Thai tuna tycoon – as described by the Financial Times – hit back at former Wednesday midfielder Carlton Palmer for his criticism of his stewardship.
Moore was third-longest serving manager of the club during the last two decades, a period which has seen their 40,000-capacity Hillsborough Stadium host six of those seasons in the third tier.
Brian Laws – who Shamrock Rovers fans will remember was welcomed to the club as director of football in September 2012 before swiftly leaving the following month – took charge of 154 games over a three-year period while Spaniard Carlos Carvalhal was at the helm for 131.
Two of their bigger gambles on more established names proved disastrous. Steve Bruce resigned after five months and 18 games to take over at Newcastle United in July 2019 before Tony Pulis was sacked by Chansiri after one win in 10 games during his six weeks at the helm.
Yet Wednesday’s issues have stretched back much longer – even if they did receive a 12-point deduction (later reduced to six) for breaching the EFL’S Profitability and Sustainability Rules resulting in their relegation to League One for the 2021/22 campaign.
They can trace their woes back to the emergence to power of former chairman Dave Richards – who has since been knighted for his services to sport.
“In 1999, backed by Ken Bates, Richards became the Premier League’s first paid chairman, earning £176,667 for the part-time role. A few months later, with Wednesday bottom of the Premier League, Richards left his position at Hillsborough,” Tom Hocking, from the football magazine When Saturday Comes, wrote.
“He left behind a club with debts of £16 million, a poor youth system and a group of players on huge, long-term contracts he had negotiated – Wim Jonk’s deal included a clause that allowed him to pick up appearance bonuses even when he missed games through injury.
“As Wednesday were losing 4-1 at Coventry City in May 2000, Richards was presenting the Premier League trophy to Manchester United at Old Trafford. The Owls’ inevitable relegation was confirmed three days later, following a 3-3 draw at Highbury. Their former chairman was not present.”
Milan Mandaric – former owner of Portsmouth and Leicester City – bought the club for a nominal fee of £1 in 2010, wiping out debts of £30m before recouping that amount when he sold to Chansiri five years later.
Sport Republic, Southampton’s owners, have had to fight the wolves from the door this summer.
It was confirmed yesterday that the latest star to leave would be defender Tino Livramento after a £40 million deal was agreed with Newcastle.
He follows centre back duo Mohammed Salisu (Monaco) and Duje Caleta-Car (on loan to Lyon) out the door.
Rising star Romeo Lavia has already been the subject of a £40 million bid from Liverpool, rejected by Southampton, while West Ham United appear to have ended their interest in 28-year-old captain James Ward-Prowse since their £20 million offer was rebuffed.
Ireland international Ryan Manning has linked up on a free transfer with his former Swansea boss Martin, while Bazunu seems set to have another battle to earn the No 1 spot outright having ended last season on the bench.
It was a campaign that taught him more about his resolve, while also reaffirming other beliefs.
“Probably the fact that I am good enough to play in the Premier League consistently,” Bazunu said earlier this summer.
“That was probably the biggest thing. Playing against teams like Man City . . . Arsenal. Playing against those teams and having some really good performances, just proved to me ‘this is my level’.”
The plight of Sheffield Wednesday shows that can never be taken for granted.
