Southampton will win Championship this season - Downes

What the report says

Southampton midfielder Flynn Downes says the club are approaching the new Championship season with a “chip on their shoulder” after the fallout from the spying scandal that affected last year’s play-off hopes. Speaking to BBC Radio Solent, the 27-year-old said the squad, staff and players have pulled together and are determined to make amends on the pitch.

The BBC Sport report says Southampton begin the campaign on minus four points because of the disciplinary case, with head coach Tonda Eckert still awaiting a punishment decision after being charged by the Football Association for bringing the game into disrepute. The club’s previous season was disrupted by the ongoing process, and Downes said that despite the setback, the team’s mindset is to target promotion and “win the league”.

Southampton have been preparing for the season with a training camp in Germany, where they beat Eintracht Braunschweig and Preussen Munster in friendlies. They start their Carabao Cup run at Colchester United on Saturday before opening their league campaign at Watford the following weekend.

Downes, who joined from West Ham initially on loan in 2023 before making the move permanent, said he feels in the best shape of his Southampton career. More broadly, the situation highlights how off-field sanctions can affect a club’s start to the season, even as players try to focus on performance and results.