Southampton boss Russell Martin is looming closer to the exit door at St. Mary's after a dreadful start to the Premier League campaign - though local journalist Alfie House states that there has still been no update on the future of the Saints gaffer.
Martin’s insistence on playing a possession-based style by passing out from the back has hampered Southampton at the best of times, notably against Chelsea, Liverpool and Brentford this season. Already sitting eight points outside the relegation zone, it is beginning to look bleak for Martin’s men, who are seemingly destined to go down if things don’t change - and that might only happen if a more pragmatic manager is brought in to replace the 38-year-old.
Russell Martin Dismissal Talk 'Fairly Quiet'
The Southampton gaffer has been in poor form this season
Southampton manager Russell Martin
But House, speaking on the 'Total Saints' podcast, believes that there has not been any news on a potential dismissal for Martin, despite such a torrid start to the campaign. He said:
"What I will say is, we didn't get any news today and the club are keeping their cards close to their chest on this. It's been fairly quiet from what I've heard, [after I] asked a couple of people and they told me.
"We could still get news in the next day or two, but if we don't, then you have to assume he'll be in charge for Spurs.
"I just wonder what it's going to take, what it's going to take to make them think for all of those reasons why they don't want to get rid of him which are still valid, how toxic can it get before they [Sport Republic] go 'we have to do it'. It's a tough one for him now."
Martin has overseen the worst start of any team in the Premier League so far this season, with just one win - over Everton - and two draws from their opening fifteen games. If the south coast club fail to take any points from their next four games, they’ll be on a points-per-game record of just one point per 3.8 games - which, when stretched over the course of an entire campaign, is lower than Derby County’s unwanted record of just 11 points in a Premier League season.
That record hasn’t been challenged too often, and if he does suffer a poor result against Tottenham Hotspur over the coming weekend, it could see him face the exit door with a more favourable run of games against Fulham, West Ham United and Crystal Palace to come.
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Statistics courtesy of WhoScored. Correct as of 09-12-24.