Manager: Stuart Gray

Didn't inherit the job in the most ideal of circumstances last season but Gray steadied the ship at the very end of the campaign after an extremely shaky spell.

Just how good the manager is remains mainly a matter for speculation at this point, but he has, at least, come out of the summer's trading fairly even, having lost Kachloul but gained Delap.

Still, it would have been nice had he signed a couple of players like Oyvind Leonhardsen, Tim Sherwood or Matt Jansen, all of whom he was linked with.

Without them there is little enough really reliable quality in the squad, although the fact that Dean Richards and James Beattie are still around is a positive sign. Could do with a good start, although Leeds followed by Chelsea followed by Spurs will be testing.

In: Paul Murray (QPR, free); Rory Delap (Derby, £4m); Jacinto Ela Eyene (Espanyol, free); Anders Svensson (Elfsborg, £750,000). Total: £4.75m.

Out: Hassan Kachloul (Aston Villa, free); Luis Boa Morte (Fulham, £1.6m); Phil Warner (Cambridge, free); John Beresford (Ossett Town, free); Paul Hughes (Luton, free). Total: £1.6m. Net spend: £3.15m.

Rep of Ireland players: Rory Delap.

Last year: Prem: 10th, FAC: 5th.

This year: 18th.

Official website: www.saintsfc.co.uk

Betting: 750-1