 He resigned after just one season in charge, which had seen Southampton finish 16th in the Premiership, and Southampton's directors turned to Dave Jones, one of the most respected managers outside the Premiership who had won promotion to Division One with Stockport County as well as reaching the League Cup semi finals.With such an inexperienced manager, Southampton were tipped by many observers to be relegated from the Premiership in 1997–98.However, thanks to the addition of young striker Kevin Davies, and the acquisition of a few others, Southampton achieved a respectable 12th-place finish in the table.