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Russell Martin: What is going wrong for Southampton manager?
The pressure is mounting on Southampton manager Russell Martin. After a good start to the season, things have taken a turn for the worse, and fast.
- Published before Southampton 3-1 Leeds
Four straight league defeats, conceding 12 times in the process, have seen Saints fall into the bottom half of the table.
So what are the issues at St Mary's? And is Martin the right man to fix them?
Transitional troubles
The coaches who are getting possession football right in the Championship, like Liam Rosenior at Hull, appear to have a plan for what to do when their sides lose the ball.
Shape is often talked about as an out-of-possession concept when, in fact, it's very important to always have someone covering the man on the ball, as a way of building play progressively while remaining defensively responsible.
Clearly, Martin has innovative ideas for what his side does with the ball, but not enough focus has been put on the other side of the game.
For instance, Martin has tried to get away with operating with two centre-backs, and both full-backs getting forward in build-up, because the deepest-lying midfielder, Shea Charles, is so close to the defence that he can almost become a third centre-back.
The problem with this logic is that Charles’ body shape is still that of a midfielder – i.e. facing his own goal – meaning a sense of panic when the ball is turned over.
This issue could be navigated by either tucking one full-back in, by asking both wide midfielders to cover their corresponding full-backs when they go forward, or by asking Charles to operate as part of a three-man defence with Jan Bednarek and Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
The key is to either have three defenders who can see an attack that comes their way from the start, or go with two - but with support on the flanks, so neither of the duo are drawn out into one-on-one situations.
Either way, it’s about being able to defend with clarity and assurance, which is the opposite of where Southampton are right now.
Stephens sidelined
Having been an out-of-possession team for much of their recent history, Southampton have swung drastically to the extreme of a keep-ball connoisseur who won’t rest until his side are topping pass charts across Europe.
As such, a period of transition felt inevitable but, given the demand for competitive results from the outset, it was important Saints had their best players, especially those who suited the new style, available.
With that in mind, it’s hard not to draw a link between Jack Stephens’ injury in the 2-1 victory over QPR in late August, which put Saints on 10 points from their first four games, and the subsequent four straight league defeats.
Not only is Stephens an excellent defender at this level, he’s one who knows the drill: one of his first senior coaches was Luke Williams, under Mark Cooper at Swindon in 2014-15 – Williams subsequently became a major stylistic influence on Russell Martin, as his assistant at MK Dons and Swansea.
The ball-playing defender’s return will be welcomed, but it’s likely to come in December, and Southampton require a temporary solution between now and then to solidify.
Damaging departures
On the opening night of the season at Sheffield Wednesday, one of the most compelling features of Southampton’s performance was the right-sided combination play between Kyle Walker-Peters, James Ward-Prowse and Nathan Tella.
Walker-Peters began as a right-back but drifted infield, Ward-Prowse began as a midfielder but overloaded the flank, while Tella was given licence to roam as the trio rotated and interchanged delightfully.
Since then, however, Ward-Prowse has been sold to West Ham and Tella to Bayer Leverkusen, while Walker-Peters’ connection with Will Smallbone and Sékou Mara, or Joe Aribo and Samuel Edozie, just hasn’t been the same.
That, in turn, has limited KWP, because while he can drive forward with the ball, his main strength is his clever link-up play but that’s been compromised as the early patterns of play have deteriorated.
Plus, Ward-Prowse’s exit has seen the Saints lose some top-level experience, and in a side that’s lacking some knowhow in key areas right now, that can’t be discounted.
Internal issues
One of the issues is a lack of confidence.
It’s partly because the likes of Bednarek and Mason Holgate are not natural ball-players, in a system that requires them to be, but there’s also a media dynamic at play.
For instance, Martin went public on the reasons for Carlos Alcaraz’s exclusion, saying the Spaniard had been having a "difficult time", and went into detail in areas where a lot of managers would have kept things vague.
In many ways, being an open book is Martin’s strength: there have been times in his professional life when that has endeared him to others, and everything he says comes from an innocent and genuine place.
Nonetheless, a manager’s role requires considered diplomacy, and when you’re responsible for so many people, the ability to filter what needs to get shared publicly from what doesn’t is crucial – if in doubt, say less.
By making Alcaraz’s personal situation specific, perhaps intending to soften his initial comment around trustworthiness, he’s dug an unnecessary hole.
Selection question marks
Martin has made clear that he wants to select players he can trust at this difficult stage, but he’s brought in Ryan Fraser, who doesn’t exactly have the greatest history on that score, having once reportedly downed tools at Bournemouth because they rejected a low offer from Arsenal.
Additionally, Kamaldeen Sulemana has come off the bench in the previous three games, despite cutting a sulky figure.
And yet Samuel Amo-Ameyaw impressed in August’s 2-1 win over QPR, as well as from the bench in prior matches, but hasn’t since featured.
Martin might point to Amo-Ameyaw being only 17 and not wanting to put too much pressure on him, but he’s done a lot more to deserve gametime than his positional rivals.
The verdict
Martin’s appointment represented a new direction for Southampton, and to make the style work, patience was always likely to be required.
It may be the Saints need another two transfer windows to implement extreme, possession-heavy football effectively, because it’s such a niche style that requires the personnel to be tailored towards it.
If the club stands by this project, however, they are to some extent conceding an unlikelihood of promotion this season.
Because the move that would increase their chances of short-term success would be to dismiss Martin early on, and appoint a more tactically flexible manager who can quickly find a formula to get the best out of what’s available right now.
Martin might bring success in time, but in order to earn that time, he has to show a side of his managerial repertoire that has not been seen yet at St Mary’s, and possibly even in his career to date.
A plan for what to do if Southampton have the ball turned over in their own half, and who’s responsible for snuffing out transitional attacks, is essential for progress, because otherwise they’ll continue to be carved open at will.
Martin might be capable of that, but right now it’s hard to say with overwhelming confidence that he is - the likelihood is matters unravel further.
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