# 2003–04 Southampton F.C. season

The 2003-04 season was Southampton F.C's 26th consecutive season in the top flight of English football, and it was the club's 119th year in existence. The season started on the 16th of August 2003 and ended on the 15th of May 2004. It was Gordon Stratchan's last season as Southampton's manager.
The team was eliminated on the third round of the FA Cup, losing 3-0 to Newcastle United, the match was broadcast live by the BBC. They were also eliminated from the Carling cup, losing 1-0 to Bolton Wanderers in the quarter finals due to a goal in extra time.

## Season summary

The previous season's FA Cup runners-up failed to make an impact in any of the cup competitions, and their 12th-place finish was a something of a disappointment after the previous season, when Southampton were eighth in the league - their highest ever in the Premiership and their highest in the top flight since 1990. The club was thrown into further turmoil in March, when Gordon Strachan announced his resignation as manager. There was talk that Glenn Hoddle would be returning to the club for a second spell, but the job went to Plymouth Argyle's Paul Sturrock instead.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 10 | Birmingham City | 38 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 43 | 48 | −5 | 50 | |
| 11 | Middlesbrough | 38 | 13 | 9 | 16 | 44 | 52 | −8 | 48 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 12 | Southampton | 38 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 44 | 45 | −1 | 47 | |
| 13 | Portsmouth | 38 | 12 | 9 | 17 | 47 | 54 | −7 | 45 | |
| 14 | Tottenham Hotspur | 38 | 13 | 6 | 19 | 47 | 57 | −10 | 45 | |
* ↑ Middlesbrough qualified as the 2003–04 Football League Cup winners.

## 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 |
| 2 | DF | ENG | Jason Dodd |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Graeme Le Saux |
| 5 | DF | NOR | Claus Lundekvam |
| 6 | DF | SCO | Stephen Crainey |
| 7 | FW | ENG | Kevin Phillips |
| 8 | MF | ENG | Matt Oakley |
| 9 | FW | ENG | James Beattie |
| 10 | MF | SCO | Neil McCann |
| 11 | DF | SWE | Michael Svensson |
| 12 | MF | SWE | Anders Svensson |
| 14 | GK | FIN | Antti Niemi |
| 15 | DF | ENG | Fitz Hall |
| 16 | DF | ENG | Martin Cranie |
| 17 | FW | LVA | Marian Pahars |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 18 | MF | IRL | Rory Delap |
| 19 | DF | ENG | Danny Higginbotham |
| 20 | MF | ENG | David Prutton |
| 21 | FW | NOR | Jo Tessem |
| 22 | DF | ENG | Darren Kenton |
| 28 | GK | NIR | Alan Blayney |
| 29 | MF | FRA | Fabrice Fernandes |
| 30 | MF | FRA | Léandre Griffit |
| 31 | MF | FRA | Yoann Folly |
| 32 | DF | NIR | Chris Baird |
| 33 | DF | SCO | Paul Telfer |
| 34 | FW | ECU | Agustin Delgado |
| 36 | FW | ENG | Brett Ormerod |

### 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 |
| 1 | GK | WAL | Paul Jones (to Wolverhampton Wanderers) |
| 4 | MF | ENG | Chris Marsden (to Busan I'cons) |
| 6 | DF | ENG | Paul Williams (to Stoke City) |
| 16 | MF | ENG | Mark Draper (retired) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 21 | FW | NOR | Jo Tessem (on loan to Lyn) |
| 25 | DF | ENG | Garry Monk (to Barnsley) |
| 27 | GK | ENG | Scott Bevan (to Wimbledon) |

## Reserve squad

    The following players did not appear for the first team this 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 |
| 13 | GK | ENG | Paul Smith |
| 23 | MF | WAL | Arron Davies |
| 24 | FW | ENG | Dexter Blackstock |
| 25 | GK | ENG | Michael Poke |
| 26 | DF | ENG | Matt Mills |
| 27 | FW | ENG | Leon Best |
| 35 | DF | ENG | Mike Williamson |
| — | DF | ENG | Francis Benali |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | DF | ENG | Luke Byles |
| — | DF | ENG | Michael Green |
| — | MF | ENG | Simon Gillett |
| — | MF | WAL | Richard Jones (on loan to Swansea City) |
| — | MF | ESP | Jacinto Elá |
| — | MF | UKR | Andrejs Perepļotkins (on loan to Bohemians) |
| — | MF | RSA | Drew Surman |

## Youth 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 |
| — | GK | SCO | Andrew McNeil |
| — | DF | ENG | Kyle Critchell |
| — | DF | WAL | Gareth Bale |
| — | DF | FRA | Sebastian Wallis-Taylor |
| — | MF | ENG | Nathan Dyer |
| — | MF | ENG | Lloyd James |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | ENG | Adam Lallana |
| — | MF | POR | Feliciano Condesso |
| — | MF | FIN | Tim Sparv |
| — | FW | ENG | Theo Walcott |
| — | FW | ENG | Josh Dutton-Black |

## Results
### League Cup

* Third round: Bristol City 1–3 Southampton; attendance 17,408

### UEFA Cup
## Statistics
### Appearances and goals

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Premier League | Premier League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | UEFA Cup | UEFA Cup |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Goalkeepers ||||||||||||||
| 14 | GK | FIN | Antti Niemi | 33 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 28 | GK | NIR | Alan Blayney | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Defenders ||||||||||||||
| 2 | DF | ENG | Jason Dodd | 34 | 0 | 27+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Graeme Le Saux | 21 | 1 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | NOR | Claus Lundekvam | 36 | 1 | 31 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 6 | DF | SCO | Stephen Crainey | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | DF | SWE | Michael Svensson | 32 | 2 | 26 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 15 | DF | ENG | Fitz Hall | 12 | 0 | 7+4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | DF | ENG | Martin Cranie | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | DF | ENG | Danny Higginbotham | 31 | 0 | 24+3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 22 | DF | ENG | Darren Kenton | 7 | 0 | 3+4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | DF | NIR | Chris Baird | 4 | 0 | 1+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Midfielders ||||||||||||||
| 8 | MF | ENG | Matt Oakley | 8 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 10 | MF | SCO | Neil McCann | 21 | 0 | 9+9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 12 | MF | SWE | Anders Svensson | 34 | 0 | 17+13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 18 | MF | IRL | Rory Delap | 32 | 1 | 26+1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 20 | MF | ENG | David Prutton | 30 | 1 | 22+5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | MF | NOR | Jo Tessem | 3 | 0 | 1+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | MF | FRA | Fabrice Fernandes | 31 | 1 | 21+6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 30 | MF | FRA | Léandre Griffit | 5 | 2 | 2+3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | MF | FRA | Yoann Folly | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | MF | SCO | Paul Telfer | 43 | 0 | 33+4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| Forwards ||||||||||||||
| 7 | FW | ENG | Kevin Phillips | 37 | 13 | 28+6 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 9 | FW | ENG | James Beattie | 42 | 17 | 32+5 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 17 | FW | LVA | Marian Pahars | 16 | 2 | 6+8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | FW | ECU | Agustin Delgado | 6 | 0 | 0+4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | FW | ENG | Brett Ormerod | 26 | 6 | 14+8 | 5 | 0+1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Players transferred out during the season ||||||||||||||
| 1 | GK | WAL | Paul Jones | 10 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 4 | MF | ENG | Chris Marsden | 17 | 0 | 9+4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |