FANS declared “the curse is real” as Aaron Ramsdale was relegated from the Premier League for the THIRD time in his career.
The goalie went down with his ship yet again as Southampton retreated straight back to the Championship after last year’s promotion.
3
Ramsdale himself reckons the drop was inevitable after a 3-1 defeat to Tottenham on Sunday.
But the ace, who also suffered relegation with Bournemouth in 2020 and Sheffield United a year later, said the Saints squad are hell-bent on beating Derby’s pitiful record haul of 11 points.
The South-Coast side still need two more points to achieve that as they became the quickest team to have the dreaded ‘R’ tag next to their name in the table.
Ramsdale, 26, said: “We knew it was probably going to be inevitable at some point, we haven’t been good enough all season. We were dominated by the better team.
“We dug in in the second half but it is a sad day and one that this group of players will learn from.
“We want to get as many points as we can until the end of the season. No-one wants that (Derby) record.”
Ramsdale joined the likes of fellow keeper Ben Foster and Kevin Phillips in a hat-trick of relegations.
The record is five and jointly-held by ex-Bolton striker Nathan Blake and Icelander Herman Hreidarsson – the latter of which went down with FIVE different sides.
BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS
And fans were quick to declare that “the curse is real.”
One said: “Ramsdale curse is real I’m afraid.”
Another declared: “Relegationdale.”
One noted: “You have to appreciate his consistency.”
Another added: “He shouldn’t let it get him down.”
Saints go straight back down having won promotion via the play-offs last season under Russell Martin.
Ramsdale, who joined from Arsenal for £18million in the summer, added: “Some are experiencing relegation for the first time so there will be a lot of emotions from them over the next few days.
“The lads who have been here before, we have to try and pick the young boys up. This group did incredible things last season.
“Nobody will want to jump ship with seven games to go. We are tight and we have just got to pull each other through now.”
Saints chief Ivan Juric replaced Martin after the former Scotland international was axed in December.
The Croat feels the club got recruitment wrong and that his young squad were not physically up to the rigours of the Premier League.
But he was blown away by the away fans applauding his relegated flops off the pitch at full-time.
The ex-Roma chief said: “For me, it is something completely new.
“It was something incredible the way they love their team, their squad, even the players that we are relegated (with), incredible for me, incredible.
“They really deserve much, much more and every person that works at Southampton has to do it better and create something much stronger than we created this year.”
Juric is not expected to be in charge next term, with Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl among the candidates to replace him.
Yet he seemed open to staying on and helping the team fight out at the Championship, adding: “It is really good to be a coach in the Premier League and if I took the long way to come back here, I am ready.
“Then I have to see with the club, with the ideas, with everything and what they think, what I think and whether we can do it or not.”
Saints’ fate was sealed by Brennan Johnson’s double and a Mathys Tel penalty, while Mateus Fernandes struck a consolation.
Ange Postecoglou was impressed with two-goal Johnson ahead of Thursday’s pivotal Europa League quarter-final first leg with Eintracht Frankfurt.
The Aussie added: “Whenever Brennan plays, he’s always a goal threat. He’s really important for us in the way we play. I was really pleased with him, not just his goals.”
