KELVIN Davis insists Saints will have no problem coping with any high-profile departures from the club this summer.
Despite losing their manager and a string of key players 12 months ago, Saints recovered to produce their best ever Premier League season and also qualify for Europe.
This summer has been a significantly smoother one so far, with the early focus having been on adding to the squad, rather than dealing with stars who want out.
That said, the club did lose Nathaniel Clyne to Liverpool this week, while Manchester United remain interested in Morgan Schneiderlin, and there is also uncertainty about whether Toby Alderweireld can be brought back from Atletico Madrid.
If there are more significant departures, club captain Davis believes the structure in place at St Mary’s will help them to prevail - as they did a year ago.
“Obviously, you don’t ever like to see your better players go, but we’re a club with that experience as well and we’ve shown that what we do behind the scenes and what the guys do in the scouting department and what the manager’s got up his sleeve has proven last season that we can cope,” he said.
“So we like to think that will be the case again this season.”
Clyne completed a £12.5m move to Liverpool on Wednesday, with Saints effectively forced into a position where they had to sell, as the right-back did not wish to extend his contract, which was entering its final year.
Davis was disappointed to see the 24-year-old England international leave, but wished him well, adding that the club had done a lot for him.
“I think Clyney, since the time he’s been here, has enjoyed the resources of this football club, having a fantastic place to play football and to grow, not just on the pitch, but off the pitch as well,” said Davis.
“You never want to see your better players go, but, at the same time, you understand that it happens and we’ve proven before that we can move on after that situation.”
While Saints would like to have kept Clyne, it is unlikely his loss will be felt as acutely as if Schneiderlin goes.
The club have received one approach from Manchester United already this summer, but that was described only as a “lowball offer”, and they are not believed to have been in touch since testing the water with that enquiry about two weeks ago.
Davis, who would love the France international to stay, said: “He’s his own man, he’s been here some time as well, and he’s done a lot for the club, so whatever decision he makes will be his decision.
“When all’s said and done, if he’s here that’s fantastic. If he’s not, then we wish him well and hope that it’s the best situation for the club.”
Davis added that the feeling around St Mary’s this summer is much different to last year.
While a significant amount of that is down to the current board having been in place a full season, giving them a chance to prepare thoroughly for this summer and not have to fire-fight to some extent, Davis also believes the stability provided by manager Ronald Koeman has played a huge part, in contrast to the uncertainty that surrounded the position of his predecessor, Mauricio Pochettino, before he walked out to join Tottenham.
“One insight was even when the manager pulled me in his office and told me he was going to play Paulo [Gazzaniga] in the Aston Villa game and the Leicester game [towards the end of last season], the key thing was he was telling me he was planning for next season,” said Davis.
“So to know it was in the manager’s mind to be here and fully committed, of course it is a different feeling from last year.
“We need to move on from what we did last year and we’ve done that successfully for the last few seasons.
“By having the management here and the staff should keep that continuity and keep the club moving where it wants to go.”