hypochondriac

Martin: “We're going to stick with what we're doing. In five years of my career, it's got me this far. I will live and die by the sword, I know that, but I'd much rather do it this way and actually enjoy some of the moments the team gives me.” Martin: “When you make a mistake [playing] this way, everyone wants to talk about it. That's the context of what is normal and acceptable for British football, I guess.” Fuck me. You're being criticised because it's an idiotic way to play in this league. He's said though he isn't going to change so on a weird way at least he's put his cards on the table. I wonder if he will, be so stubborn after 6 losses in a row. What about 8? Because that's where it will head if we play this style. I think he has the potential to go seriously off the rails.

It shouldn't have been changed after two games. We should never have started the season with all of Stephens, Aribo and Armstrong in our starting team. They are squad players at absolute best abd this should have been recognised immediately.

Oh yes like when we dropped our championship captain last time after promotion or got rid of a manager who wasn't working. It's a ruthless league you have to do what is required to survive.

They're both solid championship managers. Neither imo have the quality required for the top league. We've had top managers here before so we know what is required.

I'll add it's too early to sack him but I'd certainly be considering it after another three or four games if we perform in the same manner with zero points. It could get really really embarrassing.

Russell makes a big show out of being a progressive manager but he's actually very limited tactically. He shows little ability to make proactive changes or an ability to make changes on a game to game basis in order to get a result. Yes he had his flaws but Ralph was so much better as a manager that it's almost embarrassing. Martin is a decent championship manager but rather like Armstrong when he comes up against top quality opposition he gets found out. In quite a few ways he reminds me a bit of someone like Chris wilder. Sure he's had some success but he can't hack the big time. A few more games of this and maybe we should be looking to bring in our poch equivalent and wave goodbye to Adkins mark 2.

If you'd run a poll when that team was announced then 0% of saints fans would have said that was our strongest team. Particularly after forest.

Russell Martin admits he would start today with different personnel if he could go back, but says the players he started has "built so much credit". Added he does not know what the team will look like for Man United but that it will be different. More quotes to come. That's just fucking ridiculous. You play the best team to win in the premier league. Sentimentality should have no bearing at all. Is he too close to the players? Martin always wangs on about old players of his. It seems to me he doesn't have the killer instinct required to ditch enough players. Anyone with the ruthless streak required would have dropped Aribo, Smallbone etc and probably put THB on notice.

He telegraphed what would be said before the season started. Naivety, insanity to play in that fashion. If he knew what would be said you'd think he'd try and do something about it. Unless he's incapable of doing so without compromising 'his' way of playing.

Martin also said that the only reason Fernandes and Dibling didn't start was because they has played so much against Cardiff. Why the feck did you give them so much game time on Wednesday then if you felt it was going to hamper your ability to play your best team on Saturday? That makes zero sense.

It's the manner of the defeats, not the results in isolation.

Martin: “We’ve conceded five goals. Three individual mistakes and two set-plays. I actually think we played really well at times today, we had the best chance of the first half with Adam, it needs to go in.” That's just bollocks. I don't think even he believes that.

At least we scored a goal which is the only positive to take really. Still haven't been ahead at any point this season.

Isn't it a giant disadvantage to telegraph to everyone how we are going to play before we do it and then do nothing else?

There's going to be real seething hatred for him if we do this every game and he refuses to change.

Hilarious that some were touting Martin earlier today as some managerial guru. The fact is he's tactically naive and has shown nothing thus far to suggest he can manage at this level.

Embarrassing.

We need to actually score some goals to breed confidence and win games. Playing ultra defensive and losing by one goal every week is not it.

Do you get why? Because I don't. It doesn't work in the prem.

I swear if we fail to score or have any goal threat again and we end up losing 1-0...

Imagine being archer. Play really well and score twice, our big hope up top and then gets dropped.

Martin said last week was his fault yet he plays the same team and formation? Just bizarre.

Rotten team that for me. 5 at the back again so scared to attack, same issues with our forward line. No idea why we aren't playing Fernandes. Not so positive as I was before I saw the team. Smallbone and Aribo again and Armstrong. Dire.

What a load of old bollocks. If we ended up doing a Sheffield United this season then no one will want most of those players on our books. Bielsa went through a difficult period at Leeds and they sacked him off despite his reputation. Martin and his methods are completely unproven and no one will be in demand until he shows he can have any success in this league.

Completely agree. Remains to be seen if some of these players can combine in Martin's system to actually be successful in this league. I have my doubts to be honest and I'm still not convinced we will have much of an attacking threat. Some very decent defensive signings though