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Russell Martin, erstwhile asked what a palmy play for Southampton would look like, described it arsenic 1 wherever helium is inactive manager successful May and Saints enactment successful the Premier League.
It seemed precise overmuch similar likelihood against some astatine the extremity of a thrilling, rollercoaster day astatine St Mary’s, wherever Martin heard roars of support arsenic Southampton led 2-0 against Leicester City astatine half-time crook to afloat fury arsenic they contrived to suffer 3-2.
Martin’s passing principles person go a large talking constituent already this season, the manager refusing to budge an inch connected his insistence connected however the crippled indispensable beryllium played contempt mounting grounds that helium – oregon astatine slightest thing – indispensable alteration oregon some the manager and Southampton volition beryllium successful superior trouble.
He told BBC’s Football Focus: "There is simply a quality betwixt being stubborn and having conviction. If you truly judge successful thing arsenic a coach, manager, leader, past the logic for maine is that you instrumentality with it and effort to beryllium amended astatine it."
Martin besides added, much pertinently, successful different interview: "No-one cares unless you win."
The large occupation for Martin is that helium and Southampton are trying to get amended astatine it successful the unforgiving hothouse of the Premier League, wherever amended players punish mistakes, wherever naivety carries a dense price.
And it was each connected show arsenic they threw distant a deserved presumption of committedness delivered by an fantabulous 45 minutes, a pb courtesy of Cameron Archer and Joe Aribo formed speech arsenic Leicester struck done Facundo Buonanotte and Jamie Vardy’s punishment earlier Jordan Ayew’s 98th-minute effort squirmed past keeper Aaron Ramsdale.
There was existent venom successful the absorption from Southampton’s stunned fans erstwhile Anthony Taylor's last whistle sounded.
The statistic exemplify Martin’s reliance connected passing, arsenic they fertile 4th successful the Premier League with an mean of 528 passes per crippled and sixth measured successful possession, 55.6%.
Martin indispensable present bespeak connected the much telling statistic that Southampton are bottommost of the Premier League with 1 constituent from 8 games, conceding 18 goals, 2nd lone to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
A travel done Martin’s managerial vocation does not connection immoderate proposition helium volition alteration his modus operandi, adjacent though determination indispensable beryllium expanding concerns astir Southampton that specified a mediocre commencement volition beryllium a main constituent successful a look for relegation.
From the commencement of his clip astatine MK Dons from November 2019 his squad were apical of the array for some passing and possession successful League One, averaging 469 passes per crippled and 58.5% possession until the extremity of that season, past heading that measurement again the pursuing play with 544 passes per crippled and 64% possession.
MK Dons finished 19th successful 2019-20 past 13th successful 2020-21, his attack earning him a determination to Swansea City, wherever helium succeeded Steve Cooper, Leicester City’s manager here, earlier the commencement of the pursuing season.
The inclination continued successful southbound Wales, Swansea finishing apical of the Championship passing standings with 598 per crippled and besides the possession statistic with 63.9% arsenic they finished 15th. The pursuing play they were apical of passing with 594 per crippled and 2nd successful possession connected 64% arsenic they finished 10th.
It was adjacent halt Southampton for Martin, his benignant reflected erstwhile much arsenic they played much passes per crippled than immoderate different team, 667, enjoying 66.1% possession, the highest successful the part arsenic they came up via the play-offs.
Martin’s high-risk strategy has already been exposed successful the Premier League, peculiarly successful defeats distant to Brentford and Bournemouth earlier this desperately dispiriting loss, not helped by a deficiency of resilience successful the squad that had already started to aboveground earlier what turned into a full illness against Leicester.
Southampton and Martin are repeating their failings portion expecting antithetic results. It is not happening, with unit present expanding connected the manager alongside the anticipation they could go marooned astatine the bottom.
It each looked truthful antithetic arsenic Saints dominated the archetypal fractional but the temper turned toxic astatine the end, a operation of choler and disbelief astatine the crook of events that had been witnessed.
Martin said: "Right present determination is nary connection I tin springiness that is adjuvant due to the fact that of the emotion everyone is feeling."
On the post-match absorption of Southampton’s furious fans, helium added: "I've thing to accidental isolated from that I request to support moving and we request to triumph a crippled of football. I anticipation they volition ever crook up and enactment their team, they've been amazing."
There are ominous echoes of Burnley nether Vincent Kompany past season, different manager who took his principles connected the passing crippled consecutive backmost into the Championship aft winning promotion, finishing 19th with lone 5 wins and 24 points, earlier helium landed the coach’s occupation astatine Bayern Munich.
Martin does not springiness disconnected the aerial of a manager who is consenting to sacrifice rule for pragmatism and imaginable safety.
It is simply a strategy arsenic heavy laced with hazard arsenic his gameplan, 1 which volition necessitate the enactment of an knowing and sympathetic fanbase and board.
As acold arsenic Southampton’s enactment was concerned, the bitter ending present astatine St Mary’s was a constituent wherever immoderate remaining patience was tested to the limit.
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