Southampton's Saints are one of the Premier League's greatest ever sinners. As Newcastle United prepare to invade their territory endeavouring to regain that loving feeling, Southampton remain in grave danger of becoming record breakers. Only it's a record they want like the plague.

Because, unbelievably, they are in line to wear a crown of thorns as the worst team in PL history or at least join the list of those most embarrassed by failure. I say unbelievably because the record Derby County set in 2007-08 has been considered unassailable - 11 points gathered, only one victory all season, and a goal difference of minus 69.

Yet when the current Sinners reached the halfway stage of this campaign recently they sat on a paltry six points and Derby had one more at the same stage of their infamous season of shame. Since then Southampton have lost to Manchester United and Nottingham Forest shipping three goals each time. If that was not enough you can add another damning statistic - Southampton have scored only 15 league goals this season, the lowest tally of any side in the top five tiers of English football.

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There couldn't be a better match for Newcastle to get back on track after the shock of a four-goal thrashing by Bournemouth. However that is where danger lurks. Expect the obvious as a matter of course, take things for granted, and you can be bitten where it hurts most. United must guard against complacency. If they do a team which has won nine of their last 10 matches ought to taste sweet nectar again.

As for Southampton ending up worse than Derby will still take some doing but they are in the gravest danger of joining an infamous roll call of PL deadbeats. The only club to appear twice on it is . . . Sunderland. Here is the roll of dishonour: Derby County 2007-08: 11 points, Sunderland 2005-06: 15pts, Sheffield United 2023-24: 16pts, Huddersfield Town 2018-19: 16pts, Aston Villa 2015-16: 17 pts, Sunderland 2002-03: 19pts.

Sunderland plummeted out of the Premier League in 2006 at the end of the infamous Reid-Wilkinson-McCarthy campaign with three wins and 15 points having taken the hangman's noose three years earlier on the back of 15 consecutive defeats and 19 points. Our neighbours actually hold the ultimate record of top-flight failure losing 20 consecutive games - it comprised of those 15 matches prior to relegation in 2002-03 and the opening five fixtures on their PL return in an equally ill fated 2005-06.

On the opening day of the current campaign Southampton escaped with a narrow 1-0 defeat at SJP - no hint of what was to come - but then United played with only ten men for an hour after the referee was conned into sending off Fabian Schar at 0-0. Results-wise it has not got any better despite a change of manager from kamikaze pilot Russell Martin, the king of gung-ho, to Ivan Juric courting cautious organisation. Sure, they have looked promising for short periods of games passing the ball round attractively but the end product has remained the same.

However even if the Sinners are not crowned the worst PL side ever there is one bullet they definitely won't dodge - relegation. They are going straight back into the Championship. United must be ruthless and take full advantage to reunite with that winning feeling.

United were unrecognisable against Bournemouth. Their blisteringly quick, high octane play was replaced by laboured mediocrity and while there were reasons for that we must hope a free week has replenished players exhausted mentally as much as physically. Play like they did in the previous nine matches and United win. Play like they did last time out and Southampton will fancy their chances regardless of obvious shortcomings. I am not expecting it.

A comprehensive defeat was costly - they dropped out of the Champions League placings from fourth to sixth with plenty thundering hoofs within earshot. Nevertheless another three points following victories at Ipswich, Manchester United and Spurs would see Newcastle win four consecutive away games in the Premier League for the first time since October 1996. In actual fact it would be five on our travels having then won at Arsenal in the league cup, the best result of the lot. Unbelievable, isn't it, considering United's one-time away record but the opportunity is real.

The Mags house many, many more quality players than they do. That is not open to discussion. It just needs to be matched by determination, pride and restored energy.

I'm praying history repeats itself. More than 30 years ago at the birth of the Entertainers, albeit a division down, United started the season with a mind blowing run of straight victories, 11 in the league, culminating in an awesome win I watched at Sunderland just as the modern day guys excelled with nine wins and three huge points on their last road trip to Arsenal. Then in the very next game with elation and confidence soaring Kevin Keegan lost at home to Grimsby - as the 2025 version have just done home to Bournemouth. However by the end of 1992-93 United had achieved their prime target, promotion to the top flight as champions to spark a glorious future. May Howe see his and our immediate aim reach similar fruition come May . . . Champions League qualification and/or the Carabao Cup.