07 October 2023 , 07:00
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It was a season to forget for Adam Armstrong and Southampton last year, but the Saints striker is making the most of a clean slate on the south coast.
The Saints were relegated from the Premier League with a whimper at the end of a taxing campaign steeped in turmoil. Armstrong is one of the few survivors of a team which played under no less than three different first-team managers last year: Ralph Hassenhuttl, Nathan Jones and Ruben Selles.
Relegation has - seemingly at least - refined focus at St Mary's. Gone is the anarchy that reigned supreme last season, with the Saints now attempting to foster a new, clear-cut identity under Russell Martin.
Armstrong has since emerged as one of the leading figures in Martin's new-look team and has even inherited the armband in the absence of club captain Jack Stephens. And while he wasn't necessarily expecting to become one of the figureheads of Southampton 2.0, he is relishing his new responsibilities.
Speaking exclusively to Mirror Football, Armstrong says: "It's something I've always wanted to do [captain the side]. I was captain for a little bit at Blackburn when we had injuries. It's an honour to have the armband. I'm not one to scream at players in the changing room, it's more about encouragement on the pitch and leading by example.
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"I've played a lot of games now - I think over 300 - so I'll bring my experience of this league and what I know and help the young lads when they need it. It's a case of getting used to it, being a leader, but it's something I'm enjoying at the minute.
"It was something that just came about; I wasn't really thinking about that. I was primarily focused on getting my head down and trying to get going straight away. The gaffer has put his trust in me and I'd like to think I'm repaying that out on the pitch."
The sweeping changes that have been implemented across the south coast since Martin's arrival have been nothing short of seismic. He quickly emerged as the club's primary target to replace Selles and, eventually, a deal was struck with Swansea City for him to take charge.
The early weeks of his tenure have not been without their teething problems, though; a run of four successive losses had seen the Saints not only slip as low as 15th in the table, but also a barrage of criticism levelled at him.
Armstrong has been in sensational form for the Saints so far this season (Matt Watson/Southampton FC)The 37-year-old's possession-heavy ideology has, perhaps, not translated as fluently in terms of results as some in the St Mary's hierarchy would have hoped. Only Blackburn and strugglers Rotherham (21) have shipped more than the 20 goals Southampton have conceded already this term, with a porous defence likely to have major ramifications on their hopes of an instant return to the top-flight.
But the Saints are now outside the play-offs on goal difference following back-to-back wins against Leeds and Stoke. A nine-point week would make the Championship standings look far more favourable during the international break, especially given the frenetic festive period will be upon us sooner rather than later.
Armstrong, though, harbours no major concerns. As a seasoned Championship operator, he knows better than most about the peaks and troughs that a season in the second-tier brings.
And he is also under no illusions about the positive impact that Martin has already had on the Saints, stressing that his possession-based principles and training methods are unlike anything he has experienced elsewhere.
"It's been spot on [since Martin came in]. I can only speak for myself, but training has been intense and the way he wants to play is obviously different to the last manager we had. Even for me, being here and at other teams, it's different to them as well, but it's something that I'm loving.
"I've been in the Championship previously and I know what it's about; it's a very tough league. We went four games without a win and now we've bounced back, but that's exactly what this division is all about. No doubt a lot of teams will go through that this season.
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"In any workplace, when there's change, it's always going to take a bit of time to nail it down. Playing this way isn't something that the lads have been used to in recent years. It's something that we're still trying to do. Change is always going to be hard, but I think we're on the other side now and we can kick on."
In Armstrong, Southampton already boast the most valuable of commodities: a proven Championship goalscorer. Only five players have bettered the tally of 28 goals he plundered for Blackburn Rovers in this division back in the 2020/21 campaign.
He was unable to replicate those figures in the top-flight, where he scored just twice in 14 starts last year. But Armstrong now finds himself back in familiar settings at the pinnacle of the Championship goalscoring charts after plundering seven goals in 10 games.
Armstrong has donned the captain's armband in the absence of Jack Stephens (Matt Watson/Southampton FC)Martin himself believes Armstrong is, perhaps, better suited to his style rather than the relentless pressing tactics that were previously deployed by Hassenhuttl. Armstrong's versatility has already proved invaluable to his new manager; he has played as a striker, a winger and No.9 so far this term.
He attributes the quality work of his teammates, who have helped lay on a flurry of chances, as the secret behind his current red-hot form. Already this term, he has bettered the amount of goals scored during his first two years on the south coast.
"I've been in other teams and done well with different styles. I would like to think this one does suit me a bit more [though]. I'm creating chances and getting chances. It's one of those things: chances come and go, but in this team at the moment we're creating a lot and it's about putting them away. That's something I've done in the first 10 games and it's going well.
"He's given me that confidence to go out there and play my normal game. I've been in the normal position I like to play [in] and things have just worked.
"It's a reset every year, no matter how well you do. I scored 28 goals at Blackburn, the season before that I scored 16; I'd still had an unbelievable season, but I still had to reset and go again.
Russell Martin was appointed as the new Southampton manager in the summer (PA)"It isn't about having a bad season or whatever, my mindset - and I think a lot of the lads, too - is to reset every season anyway. You don't want to dwell on the past."
That last statement rings true; nobody at Southampton has any desire to relive or replicate a campaign brimming with disappointment and despair. An instant return to the Premier League would, naturally, be the perfect tonic to banish those memories once and for all for players like Armstrong, who endured the bitter sting of relegation for the first time.
"That's obviously the plan, getting back to the Premier League. That's every kid's dream. It's something the majority of us have done before and we need to get promoted again - it's as simple as that.
"On paper doesn't mean anything in this league - anyone can beat anyone. There's a lot of games left to play, so we can't be thinking about it at the minute. We need to keep on working on ourselves and take it game-by-game. It's so cliche, but it's so true."