'Saints won't be adrift for long'

[Getty Images] [BBC] After all the summer talk in various media outlets about the negative effect that Spygate was going to have on Southampton's season, it was nice to actually start the Championship campaign, hopefully win the first game, and give everybody something else to talk about. However, this is Southampton on the opening day. To many, it may have been a surprise that we lost to Watford, but look at our opening‑day record down the years and it's not a surprise at all. Since 1990, Saints have played 37 opening day games, won only five, drawn 14, and lost 18 - a truly abysmal record. Two of the wins were in the past two Championship seasons when we squeaked over the line with 96th‑minute winners. The Watford defeat, though disappointing, should not distract from what should be a positive season once we get going. A couple of pieces are missing at the moment, but there are still a couple of weeks of the transfer window to address that. A midfielder to replace the departed Shea Charles and a central defender - hopefully to partner Taylor Harwood‑Bellis rather than replace him - remain priorities. It was, however, a bad defeat, given that Watford ended last season as the most out‑of‑form side in the division, and we should have hit the ground running, bearing in mind our team was virtually unchanged from the one that finished 2025-26 with a 21-game unbeaten league run. Complacency? Perhaps. A soft pre‑season? Perhaps. But if two of your most experienced players give goals away, leaving you a mountain to climb, it's going to be a long afternoon. Watford deserved the win - no question. The expectation for Saints is still to get promoted at the end of the season and defeat in the first game out of 46 does not change that - nor does the four‑point deduction. Our Championship rivals can enjoy seeing us adrift at the bottom for now; I advise them to make the most of it. Glen is part of the Total Saints podcast team