Dusic

I think we have actually changed a lot game to game this season, usually to our detriment and would actually have been better if we had more consistency in selection and team shape. I know that doesn't fit with your prevailing view but do you genuinely think we have done the same thing each week?

People suggesting they don't want us to win on Saturday have lost the plot!

https://twitter.com/SaintsExtra/status/1846984968481759421?s=19 Dibling on Russell Martin: “He makes sure you’re comfortable and you know you’re in his plans. He’s been amazing. He’s like my second dad - he cares, and he’s getting the best out of me. I really appreciate him.” #saintsfc Obviously easy to say because he has given him a chance in the PL but does seem as if RM still retains the support of the players, which is not always the case and potentially a consideration for the decision makers. Certainly far easier a decision when morale is poor and the manager is clearly a wazza that everyone dislikes.

I've seen nothing to suggest Jones would have got us promoted. He was in the very fortunate position of coming in mid season and then having a 6 week break to get the team setup how he wanted and there was absolutely no visible sign of any pattern or structure, let alone an improvement. Seems its going the same way with Charlton too. Suprise suprise. Russell Martin has managed one full season, achieved one promotion having brought together a fractured squad and then is struggling in the PL (as most recent promoted teams have done), with a squad whose most proven PL goalscorer is a 36yo Adam Lallana. He will probably end up being fired soon and we may or may not improve - certainly no guarentee. But overall he has to be considered as a good appointment by the club - ridiculous for people to be comparing him to Jones and Selles, the first of whom is probably the worst manager we have ever had.

A lesser spotted Martin. Over 100 caps for Uruguay but didnt get a look in for us. Now 37 and being skippered by Maya Yoshida at LA Galaxy.

The name Martin is one of the first things that many football fans across the UK, and indeed further afield have associated with Southampton FC for most of the club's history. From recent promotion winning legend Russell, to widely heralded CEO Semmens, academy poster boy Cranie, the guy who has been on TSP a couple of times and Martin who operated a turnstile at the Dell for many man years - just to name a few. Simple question - who is the top Saints Martin in your opinion, and crucially, why? For me - although I liked Martin Hunter as Technical Director under Les Reed, I have gone for Eric Martin because he was a top GK at the time, good with his feet before that was a necessity and at claiming crosses. Also showed his versatility by transitioning to have a good indoor career with the Washington Diplomats in the late 70s. A proper Martin.

We did that for both of Archers chances vs Ipswich too to be fair. Different type of passes but the same principle and intent.

Believe the Knightwood Lounge represents delivery of the fifth and final of Ralph Krueger's Five Pledges. Good to see they have actioned his plan to leave a lasting legacy from his tenure.

They clearly should never have appointed Jones, but they did and got rid of him after 8 games. The main error was appointing him in the first place and nobody will disagree there! Martin got promoted so I think he compares pretty well to Jones in terms of what he has achieved here - even if he were fired tomorrow. Wilcox - tasked to hire a manager to change style and get promoted. Achieved it, so hardly "clueless". He has been at Utd 5mins so what they are doing is irrelevant in terms of judging him at this point, especially as he isnt the decision maker.

The occassional good points you make get diluted by the baseless crap. "Finally, beleatedly" got rid of Jones...after an 8 game tenure. When Jones went we tried and failed to get Jesse Marsch. Our situation was glaringly obvious so I doubt loads of great options were available in reality. Selles "useless replacement" being the manager who achieved promotion. Jason Wilcox being "clueless"...fill us in on what that is based on aside from something tenuous like he was here when we signed Ross Stewart? He was part of one season that resulted in a promotion and clearly made a lot of off field change that is difficult to immediately judge befofe being head hunted by Man Utd who could have prettt much got anyone they wanted. Seemingly within football circles he is extremely well regarded. Sport Republic clearly have made some errors but go after the right stuff at least!

As above...should have started today but at least has shown he is a must pick for the next block of games.

I think where this view is certainly unfair is that Russell Martin clearly brought back onside some of the key squad members who were thoroughly demoralised and wanting to leave following the relegation. He absolutely changed the culture and team spirit for the better and to reduce his overall role in being promoted so significantly is IMO wrong, regardless of what has happened this season.

Archer should definitely be starting IMO. Looks the only striker who can create a shooting chance for himself, is a threat in behind which is needed for the games vs the best sides as stops them defending on the halfway line and was unlucky not to score vs Ipswich. Very harshly dropped - an error!

That is a ridiculous setup and that team wouldn't get any possession to even get near to putting crosses in. The only striker who looks a threat in behind against a high line and who has really looked like scoring is Archer. Shouldnt have left him out vs Bmth and he needs a run.

Definitely has front sweeper potential.

I wonder how much the departure of Wilcox has impacted him? Does feel that since around that point there has been far less consistency in selection. I also think the gap Wilcox left has surely impacted squad management. We have an absolutely ridiculously bloated squad with far too many options of a similar level and far too many players not playing which cannot be healthy for anyone and I think gives him too many options to get confused by. No PL team should be able to name 5 strikers on the bench whilst leaving out one of their best young talents (SAA). We brought in some decent players this summer but it doesn't look well managed from the outside at that senior football level, i.e above Martin

Ive been on the side of giving him more time but the fact he is chopping and changing so much just makes me think he running out of ideas. Tonight he ripped up the good bits of the Ipswich game - Dibling/Sugawara partnership, midfield 3, Archer threat in behind - and if majorly backfired. Squad being too big doesn't help him but hard to have much confidence of an improvement and if no action the season will just become pointless.

Not sure where you have got this from? I'm not in favour of an immediate change but clearly an urgent need to pick up points. That said, in theory Potter is the standout candidate. Plays a style that is still possession based (which players are used to) but is more pragmatic and has experience of doing well at this level. The problem....he could do a great job and still be relegated so not sure why it would overly appeal.

Its by far the most likely scenario and then the same will probably happen next season as well as the current Championship looks much weaker than last season. Its definitely becoming much harder to get promoted and stay up - even before a ball was kicked this season there weren't many obvious relegation candidates whereas in many years gone by anyone of the bottom half might be nervous. I think only Wolves or Everton are in any danger outside of the promoted three.

Yeah, its not really that difficult to grasp, is it? To stay up we have to finish above both teams who finished above us and beat us in 4/4 games last season (one we have finished behind for st least 4 seasons) plus at least one team that has played in this league and stayed up for (at least) the last two seasons so have had now 5 windows of splashing PL cash. Last season all of the teams who came up went straight back down. Clearly from the above, and the fact we don't spend lots of money by PL standards, it is going to be very difficult to stay up this season, regardless of who the manager is. We certainly should not be accepting of relegation at this stage of the season, but surely an element of realism is needed? We were an unfortunate deflection from being out of the bottom 3 after 5 games and put in easily our best performance so far - not the time to be speed dialling someone like David Moyes who clearly wouldn't have the tools to do what those in favour of him would want. All IMHO of course, Morph

Absolutely, if you look at it purely from an outcome perspective. But when you consider some of the massive chances we haven't taken then I think its mental we only have two goals - and hopefully over the next 5 game spell a few more of the massive chances get taken and then it doesn't look so bad. If we hadn't created those chances to miss then it would be a greater cause of concern...and ultimately the manager doesn't miss them and a new manager wouldn't score them!

Genuine answer to what I think is a very difficult question: - You have to give him a little more time because everyone is adjusting to a new level, we are settling in a lot of new players and there has been sign of improvement (Saturday we were a deflection away from a deserved win). - I think sometime in November would be the best to judge - would have had more games against teams who will be bottom third, enough time to for all signings to have adjusted and for the team to do what RM has said - get better as time passes. - There are also significant factors that we don't really know enough on from the outside. For example: > Without Wilcox how invested in the possession based 'game model' are the decision makers? > Whats the atmosphere like at Staplewood? Has to be said from the outside it seems a united group that are bought in to what the manager is doing - that is a key point. > Who could they get, and do they think by making a change it would actually make a positive difference? No guarentee of that at all. So clearly not as simple as many make out and as for accepting relegation or not, I personally accept that we are still more likely to be repegated than not, because there is the factor of other teams as well - in this case we have one of the weakest 3 squads so we are trying to upset the odds. The question is whether holding our nerve and sticking gives us a better chance over a long season to get 35pts?

Seems bigger than many on here expected which is suprising because we were only out of it for a season and were abject in our last two PL seasons. Has always been extremely obvious that it will be very difficult to stay up this season given the lack of Luton, Sheff Utd level sides and the money spent overall in the league. Nothing has changed. We were a deflection away from being out of the bottom 3 after 5 games and yet there seems so much agitation to change as if people expected to be comfortably mid table. Pretty much any side who has 3 managers in a season goes down as an utter shambles. If we get rid of Martin now I think that is far more likely than the scenario whereby we suddenly improve hugely and have a comfortable season.

Tactics creates two clear chances that people are moaning he didn't take. Looked pretty clear they want to slip through balls into him...and it worked (see first sentence).

Clinical finishes vs Cardiff and looked pretty strong for his 2nd chance on Saturday where he muscled in between two defenders to get the shot away. IMO he looks like someone who has good PL attributes and with Fernandes, Dibling and Lallana hopefully some players who can find him. Reality - like for all the clubs near the bottom - is you can't buy players with proven records in top leagues because they already play for top sides (or are like Ings are probably a bit past it).