Southampton chairman Ralph Krueger says this season's success is down to the strength of the people inside the club.
Krueger admits Saints were staring at the "abyss" during last summer's exodus.
"Anyone who didn't at some point feel some kind of trepidation isn't human," he told the Daily Mail, but adds: "I've always loved the difficult challenges and I've always found that's where you find the most growth.
"It wasn't ever out of control but we were definitely on the edge of the abyss a few times. It was the power of the people in this club that didn't allow the bad to happen. People were in the right place at the right time as we built the executive team we have now."
