26th: Jonathan Forte
Appearances: 5
Average Rating: 5:80
Pacy striker was nowhere near first team reckoning at the start of the campaign. Appeared in all four Carling Cup ties to mixed results. Scored against Swindon and Torquay and looked solid against Preston, but was abysmal at Palace. Joined Preston in November for a brief unremarkable loan stint. Appeared in his only league match for Saints on January 2nd at Brighton, but struggled to cope in the lone-striker role with the team down to 10 men. Had a successful loan spell at Notts County from January. Scored five goals for the Meadow Lane outfit, including an impressive hatrick at eventual champions Charlton. Served his purpose in League 1, but never looked like cutting it at Championship level. Won't get near the first team in 2012/13.
25th: Sam Hoskins
Appearances: 2
Average Rating: 6:00
Made his senior bow in the Carling Cup tie at Swindon and showed some good touches in a brief cameo. Went to Preston in November for a pointless loan spell where he didn't play a single minute of football. Helped turn around the FA Cup tie at Coventry after coming on as a second half substitute. Scored twice for Rotherham who he joined on loan in March. Definitely not one to write off just yet.
24th: Aaron Martin
Appearances: 17
Average Rating: 6:12
Started the opening day win at Leeds, but soon dropped out of the team for Dan Seaborne. Played in four League Cup matches and looked ok. Received first team opportunities in late December/January when Jose Fonte and Jos Hooiveld were injured. Did reasonably well in their absence, but was still a level below the Portuguese and the Dutchman. Scored his first goal for the club on January 7th in a 2-1 FA Cup win at Coventry, before missing a sitter at Forest a week later. Made a mistake which led to a goal in the FA Cup replay with Millwall in February, but made amends a few days later with a goal and a decent performance in a 4-0 win over Derby. Young defender still has a future at the club, but probably only as a backup player. Needs to raise his game significantly if he wants to be considered for first team action in the Premier League.
23rd: Jason Puncheon
Appearances: 9
Average Rating: 6:13
Long standing dispute with Chairman Nicola Cortese rumbled on into the summer as Puncheon was forced to train with the kids. Joined QPR on loan in August, but made just two appearances before returning to Southampton in January. After making a foul-mouthed Twitter outburst against Cortese it looked as if Puncheon's days at the club were numbered. Incredibly though, the two parties patched up their differences, and Puncheon returned to the first team squad. He made his Saints comeback on 28th January at former club Millwall. Puncheon looked hungry to impress, and performed well in his next few outings, particularly against Cardiff. His form soon dipped however, and after being substituted at half time in the 1-0 win at Leeds, Puncheon found himself out of favour again. He started at Hull on March 20th, but then disappeared following a poor performance. He made a brief cameo on the final day against Coventry. Puncheon has endured an incredibly eventful spell at St Marys since signing in January 2010. You would be a fool to predict his next move.
22nd: Lee Holmes
Appearances: 11
Average Rating: 6:13
Already a seasoned veteran at 25, Holmes performed well in early Carling Cup matches, providing a couple of assists against Torquay and Swindon. Scored just minutes after coming on in his first league match against Watford on 1st October. Was used sporadically over the winter as injury hit the first team squad. An excellent crosser of the ball, Holmes tends to run in straight lines, which is far too predictable and goes against Nigel Adkins's philosophy. Joined Oxford on loan in February. Holmes enjoyed a successful spell at the Kassam Stadium, helping Oxford to a 2-0 win over rivals Swindon. That display impressed Paolo Di Canio, who took Holmes to the County Ground, much to the dismay of Oxford fans. He played in Swindon's 2-0 Football League Trophy final defeat at Wembley, before helping the Robins win the League 2 title. Holmes scored the only goal in a win against Northampton on 9th April. Would have almost certainly been playing at a much higher level were it not for injuries. Holmes has been unlucky at Saints, but simply isn't good enough for the level we are at now. Out of contract in the summer, could well return to Swindon on a permanent basis.