Having achieved promotion the previous season,[1][2] the club were looking to retain their place in the second tier of English football and make progress towards their long-term aim of returning to the Premier League.

Southampton were relatively active in the summer transfer window, purchasing three new players, selling three and releasing five: midfielder Jack Cork, winger Steve De Ridder and defender Danny Fox made the move to St Mary's for undisclosed fees,[6][7][8] while midfielder Oscar Gobern and defender Joseph Mills departed the club,[9][10] and winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was sold to Arsenal for a club record £15 million in August.

[11] In the winter 2012 window, the Saints purchased strikers Tadanari Lee (the club's first Japanese player ever) and Billy Sharp,[12][13] and made defender Jack Saville's loan move to Barnet final.

[14] In April 2012, three Southampton players – goalkeeper Kelvin Davis, midfielder Adam Lallana, and striker Rickie Lambert – were named in the PFA Team of the Year for the Championship.

The visitors quickly built a two-goal advantage following a pair of David Connolly headers, but the home side drew level shortly after half-time and took the lead in the last ten minutes.

[26][27] The Saints were dominant for most of the rest of the game, but could only hold on with one goal for the win, which was slightly soured by the dismissal of midfielder Richard Chaplow, who had only been on the pitch for 15 minutes.

[34][35] After periods of domination for both sides, Southampton finally scored a winner in the 82nd minute when Lambert completed his hat-trick from a Danny Fox free kick.

[36][37] The tally was quickly doubled, as Guly do Prado converted a Frazer Richardson cross into a second, and a third was scored by Adam Lallana ten minutes before half-time to make it 3–0 at the break.

[38][39] With Southampton constantly looking for an equaliser, the home side remained vigilant in defence and kept the league-toppers out until ten minutes before time, when substitute Morgan Schneiderlin scored his first goal of the season, finishing Danny Fox's assist to give the Saints a point and keep them at the top of the Championship table.

[40][41] The Saints battled on, but all they could achieve was a consolation goal in injury time courtesy of a neat finish from substitute De Ridder; Southampton remained top of the league however, due to draws at Middlesbrough and Derby County.

[44][45] Southampton extended their lead at the top to five points when they faced second-place West Ham United in midweek, winning by a single goal to nil.

[46][47] Saints loanee defender Jos Hooiveld scored the only goal of the match on the cusp of half-time, heading in a corner from left back Danny Fox.

[48][49] Reading finally made the break in the 71st minute when Antiguan midfielder Mikele Leigertwood scored from inside the penalty area to put pressure on Southampton.

[50][51] The Saints had to wait until ten minutes from time to secure the win, when substitute David Connolly finished off a long team move to put the club three points ahead at the top of the table.

[56][57] The Saints picked up their first loss in two months the following week, when they lost at Bristol City due to second half goals from Albert Adomah and Nicky Maynard.

[60][61] Guly do Prado scored the first shortly after the break, converting a Rickie Lambert setup, and Adam Lallana headed in a Frazer Richardson cross just a few minutes later to win the match.

[64][65] The game looked lost for Southampton but a period of high pressure from the hosts culminated in a winning goal from a Lambert header in the third of five minutes of injury time.

[68][69] Southampton's 23-game unbeaten home run ended on 30 December, the final game of the year, when they lost 1–0 to Bristol City, thanks to a second-half goal from loanee midfielder Stephen Pearson.

[73][74] Early in the second half, referee Andy D'Urso showed Rickie Lambert a red card after violent conduct between the striker and Brighton defender Adam El-Abd.

[73][74] In the last five minutes, Brighton also lost a player when captain Gordon Greer was dismissed for a foul on striker Jonathan Forte, but Southampton were unable to change the result.

[75][76] Guly do Prado kicked off the scoring in the 27th minute, and made it two courtesy of David Connolly in the second half after Forest went down to ten men shortly after the break.

[85][86] Controversy began early when Saints striker Billy Sharp gave away a penalty, receiving a booking in the process, and became involved in an altercation with West Ham midfielder Matthew Taylor, who was sent off for the incident.

[85][86] More cautions for both sides followed in the first and second halves, and after much pressure Southampton finally scored courtesy of a Jos Hooiveld effort in the 75th minute to leave them at the same disadvantage in the table as before the match.

[109][110] The match remained in a deadlock for almost half an hour, only for the visitors to take the victory with two late goals, both coming from striker Adam Le Fondre, putting Reading three points ahead at the top of the table.

[16] In the second half, defender Jos Hooiveld made it three for the home side with a close range effort, before Adam Lallana finally sealed the victory with a goal of his own just four minutes later.

[117][118] In the replay ten days later at St Mary's, Millwall knocked Southampton out of the tournament with a dramatic injury time winner courtesy of Liam Feeney.

[119][120] It took until late in the second half for the next goal to come, with the hosts switching play with a 77th-minute strike from Rickie Lambert, although the lead was short-lived as former Saints loanee winger Dany N'Guessan equalled again for Millwall.

[119][120] Feeney's long-range effort ensured that the game did not go to extra time or penalties, progressing Millwall into the fifth round and knocking the Saints out of the FA Cup for another year.

[123][124] Mehdi Kerrouche pulled one back for the home side late in the game, but substitute Rickie Lambert made sure that the Saints were to progress to the next round with a last minute winner.

[125][126] In the fourth round Southampton lost to Crystal Palace 2–0, with goals coming late in the second half from Darren Ambrose and a Jermaine Easter penalty.