# 2004–05 Southampton F.C. season

During the 2004–05 English football season, Southampton Football Club competed in the Premier League. It was the club's 27th consecutive season in the English top flight and their 120th year in existence, The team would be relegated at the end of the season after a 2–1 loss against Manchester United, they exited the FA Cup on the sixth round due to a 4–0 loss against Manchester United that was broadcast on the BBC, they were also eliminated from the Carling Cup in the fourth round, losing 5–2 against Watford. This season would also be Peter Crouch's only season with the club as he was transferred to Liverpool at the end of the season, while playing for the Saints he would earn his first England call-up.

## Season summary

Manager Paul Sturrock left Southampton by mutual consent in August, after only six months as manager; his resignation was attributed to a disappointing run of form and rumours of player unrest and boardroom dissatisfaction with his management. His replacement Steve Wigley failed to improve results and he was soon sacked with the club deep in relegation peril. Harry Redknapp came from arch-rivals Portsmouth in an attempt to save the Saints, but despite being able to attain safety and another season of Premiership football by winning on the last day of the season, Southampton lost 2–1 at home to Manchester United and were relegated from the Premiership in last place.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 16 | Portsmouth | 38 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 43 | 59 | −16 | 39 | |
| 17 | West Bromwich Albion | 38 | 6 | 16 | 16 | 36 | 61 | −25 | 34 | |
| 18 | Crystal Palace (R) | 38 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 41 | 62 | −21 | 33 | Relegation to the Football League Championship |
| 19 | Norwich City (R) | 38 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 42 | 77 | −35 | 33 | Relegation to the Football League Championship |
| 20 | Southampton (R) | 38 | 6 | 14 | 18 | 45 | 66 | −21 | 32 | Relegation to the Football League Championship |

## Kit

The season's kit was manufactured by the club's own brand, Saints. The kit was sponsored by English life insurance company Friends Provident.

## First-team squad

    Squad at end of season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | FIN | Antti Niemi |
| 2 | DF | ENG | Jason Dodd |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Graeme Le Saux |
| 4 | DF | BEL | Jelle Van Damme |
| 5 | DF | NOR | Claus Lundekvam |
| 6 | DF | SWE | Andreas Jakobsson |
| 7 | FW | ENG | Kevin Phillips |
| 8 | MF | ENG | Matt Oakley |
| 10 | MF | SCO | Neil McCann |
| 12 | MF | SWE | Anders Svensson |
| 13 | GK | ENG | Paul Smith |
| 14 | FW | ENG | Peter Crouch |
| 16 | DF | ENG | Martin Cranie |
| 18 | MF | IRL | Rory Delap |
| 19 | DF | GIB | Danny Higginbotham |
| 20 | MF | ENG | David Prutton |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 22 | DF | ENG | Darren Kenton |
| 23 | DF | FRA | Olivier Bernard |
| 24 | FW | ENG | Dexter Blackstock |
| 26 | DF | ENG | Matthew Mills |
| 27 | FW | ENG | Leon Best |
| 28 | GK | NIR | Alan Blayney |
| 29 | MF | FRA | Fabrice Fernandes |
| 30 | MF | FRA | Léandre Griffit |
| 31 | MF | FRA | Yoann Folly |
| 33 | DF | SCO | Paul Telfer |
| 34 | FW | TRI | Kenwyne Jones |
| 35 | MF | SWE | Mikael Nilsson |
| 36 | FW | ENG | Brett Ormerod |
| 37 | FW | SEN | Henri Camara (on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers) |
| 38 | MF | ENG | Jamie Redknapp |
| 39 | DF | ENG | Calum Davenport (on loan from Tottenham Hotspur) |
| 40 | MF | SCO | Nigel Quashie |

### Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 9 | FW | ENG | James Beattie (to Everton) |
| 23 | MF | WAL | Arron Davies (to Yeovil Town) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 37 | GK | USA | Kasey Keller (on loan from Tottenham Hotspur) |
| — | DF | ENG | Mike Williamson (on loan to Wycombe Wanderers) |

## Reserve squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 11 | DF | SWE | Michael Svensson |
| 15 | DF | TUN | Alaeddine Yahia |
| 17 | FW | LVA | Marian Pahars |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 21 | MF | NOR | Jo Tessem |
| 25 | GK | ENG | Michael Poke |
| 32 | DF | NIR | Chris Baird |

## Statistics
### Appearances, goals and cards

    (Starting appearances + substitute appearances)
| No. | Pos. | Name | League | League | Domestic cups | Domestic cups | Total | Total | Discipline | Discipline |
| No. | Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | | |
| 1 | GK | Antti Niemi | 28 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | Jason Dodd | 4+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | Graeme Le Saux | 24+1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 24+1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | Jelle Van Damme | 4+2 | 0 | 2+1 | 1 | 6+3 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | Claus Lundekvam | 31+3 | 2 | 4+1 | 1 | 38+6 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| 6 | MF | Andreas Jakobsson | 24+3 | 2 | 4+1 | 0 | 28+4 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 7 | FW | Kevin Phillips | 21+9 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 26+9 | 13 | 3 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | Matt Oakley | 6+1 | 1 | 3+1 | 1 | 9+2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | James Beattie | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | MF | Neil McCann | 5+6 | 0 | 3+2 | 1 | 8+8 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 11 | DF | Michael Svensson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | DF | Anders Svensson | 21+9 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 24+9 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | GK | Paul Smith | 5+1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | FW | Peter Crouch | 18+9 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 25+9 | 16 | 2 | 1 |
| 15 | DF | Alaeddine Yahia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | DF | Martin Cranie | 3 | 1 | 0+2 | 0 | 3+2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | FW | Marian Pahars | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | MF | Rory Delap | 34+3 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 40+3 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| 19 | DF | Danny Higginbotham | 20+1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 24+1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | MF | David Prutton | 19+4 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 24+4 | 2 | 9 | 1 |
| 21 | FW | Jo Tessem | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | DF | Darren Kenton | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6+2 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 23 | DF | Oliver Bernard | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| 23 | MF | Arron Davies | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | FW | Dexter Blackstock | 8+1 | 1 | 0+2 | 4 | 8+3 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 25 | MF | Michael Poke | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | MF | Matthew Mills | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | FW | Leon Best | 1+2 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 2+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | GK | Alan Blayney | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | MF | Fabrice Fernandes | 14+2 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 15+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | MF | Leandre Griffit | 0+2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 31 | MF | Yoann Folly | 1+2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | DF | Chris Baird | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | MF | Paul Telfer | 26+4 | 0 | 4+1 | 0 | 30+5 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 34 | FW | Kenwyne Jones | 1+1 | 3 | 0+1 | 0 | 2+1 | 3 | 8 | 0 |
| 35 | DF | Mikael Nilsson | 12+4 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 17+4 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 36 | FW | Brett Ormerod | 5+4 | 0 | 2+1 | 1 | 7+5 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 37 | FW | Henri Camara | 10+3 | 4 | 1+1 | 2 | 11+4 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | GK | Kasey Keller | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | MF | Jamie Redknapp | 16 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 39 | DF | Calum Davenport | 5+2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | MF | Nigel Quashie | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 |

## Transfers
### In

* Jelle Van Damme – Ajax, £2,500,000, 9 June 2004
* Peter Crouch – Aston Villa, £2,000,000, 9 July 2004
* Andreas Jakobsson – Brøndby IF, £1,000,000, 31 August 2004
* Kasey Keller – Tottenham Hotspur, 12 November 2004, month loan
* Calum Davenport – Tottenham Hotspur, 3 January 2005, five-month loan
* Jamie Redknapp – Tottenham Hotspur, 4 January 2005, free transfer
* Nigel Quashie – Portsmouth, 17 January 2005, £2,100,000
* Olivier Bernard – Newcastle United, undisclosed (believed to be £400,000), 31 January 2005
* Henri Camara – Wolverhampton Wanderers, 31 January 2005, four-month loan
* Alaeddine Yahia – Guingamp, £350,000
* Mikael Nilsson – Halmstad, £400,000

### Out

* Agustín Delgado – released (later joined Aucas), 17 June 2004
* Mike Williamson – Wycombe Wanderers, season loan, 4 July 2004
* Fitz Hall – Crystal Palace, £1,500,000, 12 August 2004
* Stephen Crainey – Leeds United, £200,000, 26 August 2004
* Martin Cranie – Bournemouth, loan, 29 October 2004
* Arron Davies – Yeovil Town, undisclosed, 16 December 2004
* Kenwyne Jones – Sheffield Wednesday, loan, 17 December 2004
* James Beattie – Everton, 4 January 2005, £6,000,000
* Yoann Folly – Nottingham Forest, month loan, 7 January 2005
* Alan Blayney – Rushden & Diamonds, loan, 1 February 2005
* Alan Blayney – Brighton & Hove Albion, loan, 24 March 2005
* Jason Dodd – Plymouth Argyle, month loan, 24 March 2005
* Dexter Blackstock – Plymouth Argyle, loan
* Leon Best – Queens Park Rangers, loan
* Stuart Anderson – Blackpool