During the international break, there were a lot of rumours surrounding manager Russell Martin’s Southampton exit after a struggling start to the Premier League season. A lot of promising managers such as Carlos Corberan and Thomas Frank have been linked with the Southampton head coach role amid speculations of a managerial change at the St. Mary's Stadium in a few weeks.
Thus, the three matches against Leicester City, Wolves and Everton were considered as the matches which could decide Russell Martin’s future at the club. While the Saints made a significant progress in the attack during the previous two weeks, the overall results haven't improved. In the recent 3-2 comeback defeat against Leicester City, Southampton couldn't maintain their two-goal lead and again dropped points in the Premier League.
Russell Martin reveals his long-term Southampton plans despite 3-2 defeat
Moreover, Martin’s substitute decisions in the second half didn't work out well, as Ryan Fraser gave an underwhelming performance in the final half an hour of the match and even received a red card as well. Thus, several Southampton fans weren't convinced with Martin’s tactics after taking the 2-0 lead, and there have been rumours surrounding the fact that Southampton’s board are also unimpressed with Martin’s results this season.
However, manager Russell Martin suggested that isn't the case as he talked about these speculations, saying,
"I had a brilliant chat with Dragan and the guys yesterday, so no."Russell Martin
Martin highlighted that Southampton’s owner Dragan Solak, believes in his long-term Southampton plans and remains convinced that Martin can guide Southampton to make a comeback in their Premier League campaign. Southampton's owners don't want a repeat of the managerial situation two years ago, when the Saints were managed by three different head coaches and were relegated at the end of the season.
While another 3-2 defeat has led to a seventh Premier League defeat for Southampton, the Saints should take some positives from this match. The front three has been gradually improving their finishing, and the defence must learn from them in order to try to keep a clean-sheet in the upcoming league fixtures.