McMenemy continued to bring in a host of star players to the club. Even if more than a few were past their peak, they had more than enough talent to boost Saints into one of England's top clubs. The arrival of star names such as Watson, Keegan, Mills, and Shilton to compliment McMenemy's previous signings made Saints a threat to any side. Young talent was fostered and Wright, Moran and Wallace would go on to be Saints stars. Keegan departed at the start of 82/83 and Saints European campaign didn't last much longer. Now lacking up front, Saints slumped to a mid table finish. They bounced back with goals from David Armstrong and Moran to reach 2nd in the first division in 1983/84. This remains Saints best ever league finish. Saints also made the semi finals of the FA Cup in 1984. After such an auspicious season, things could only go downhill. Several players had arguments with McMenemy, failed to agree terms or behaved poorly in public. Many subsequently left the club. McMenemy himself left at the end of the season although Saints finished in an excellent fifth place. Chris Nicholl took Saints to an FA Cup semi final in his first season, although Saints league form was poor. McMenemy's departure saw Saints falling into a midtable berth. Although Saints no longer had international stars, they certainly had plenty of stars for the future. The late eighties saw the emergence of Shearer, Le Tissier, and Rod Wallace through the impressive youth ranks. With the additions of Flowers, Ruddock Townsend and Rideout future looked bright. | 
