Russell Martin walks down the tunnel during Southampton's 5-0 loss to Tottenham
Southampton boss Russell Martin was mocked after heading down the tunnel before James Maddison scored Tottenham's fifth goal
Southampton boss Russell Martin walked down the tunnel before Tottenham had scored a fifth goal against his side on the brink of half time.
The Saints were thumped 5-0 by Ange Postecoglou's men to continue their dreadful season. They've now lost 13 of their first 16 matches and have just five points on the board in the Premier League.
Tottenham had raced into a huge lead as James Maddison scored inside 40 seconds before Son Heung-min, Dejan Kulusevski and Pape Sarr also got on the scoresheet to make it 4-0. Martin had clearly seen enough as he headed down to the dressing room with half time approaching.
But there was still time for another goal as Maddison grabbed his second of the night with a smart finish from close range - while Martin had already vanished from the touchline.
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Martin would have been fuming to discover his team had let in another goal by the time the players came in for the interval with an enormous mountain to climb. Luckily for the Saints, they prevented another onslaught as they battled for pride and kept the score at 5-0.
Football fans couldn't resist the urge to tease Martin for the gaffe as one supporter joked that he was joining the horde of Southampton fans who had walked out of St Mary's.
Another wrote: "Not sure he just walked down the tunnel... think he may have got in his car and went home!" A third fan posted: "God I would give anything to be the person who told Russell Martin that they conceded again after he went down the tunnel."
James Maddison
Maddison scored twice against the Saints in Tottenham's thrashing
Martin said he "didn't recognise" his team in the first half after their hammering and claimed he was "hurt" by their woeful performance.
"I was hurt in the first half," he told BBC Sport. "We did not respond very well to the setbacks as a group. We have seen that all too often this season. After the first goal, our response was very poor.
"It's most disappointing because we had worked on a plan. We had a week's training and the players have been part of that process. But we did not carry out anywhere near the intensity or aggression we needed. I didn't recognise our team in the first half. But I am pleased they stuck out in the second half."
The home fans turned on Martin, asking for him to become the fourth Premier League manager to be sacked. The Saints are four points adrift at the bottom of the Premier League table, having picked up just five from their first 16 matches.
Russell Martin is under serious pressure as Southampton boss
It doesn't get any easier for Southampton. Next up the Saints welcome league leaders Liverpool to St Mary's for a Carabao Cup quarter-final before a clashes against Fulham, West Ham and Crystal Palace to see out 2024.
Asked if the crowd reaction hurt him, Martin added: "As a person, no. Because I understand that it's not personal. But as a manager, yes. It hurts me as well as the team. But I also understand it.
"We have no choice but to keep working and fighting. It's what I have been doing in this job and I will continue doing it until I am told not to."
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