The greater challenges may lie ahead for Southampton, both on and off the field when you consider the brewing interest in their star assets. But in terms of a marker for a new manager and the delivery of his philosophy, this was an emphatic sign of what to expect from the Saints under Russell Martin this season.
It is perhaps important to caveat this victory on a thoroughly entertaining opening night at Hillsborough with the point that barely three months ago these two sides were two divisions apart. On that basis, what Sheffield Wednesday produced in terms of a second-half fightback will give them hope for the mammoth slog ahead. But ultimately it was Southampton who secured victory with a performance that was, in reality, a near-perfect embodiment of their manager’s style.
