Matt Le Tissier has given his verdict on Southampton’s decision to dismiss Russell Martin as the manager after the defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at St. Mary’s Stadium.
Southampton suffered a 5-0 hammering at the hands of Tottenham at home on Sunday evening.
All five goals came in the first half. The defeat leaves the Saints at the foot of the Premier League table.
Southampton have picked up just five points from 16 matches. They are as many as nine points behind 17th-placed Leicester City.
After the match, Southampton announced on their official website that they have taken “the difficult decision to part ways” with Martin.
Simon Rusk, who is in charge of the Southampton Under-21s side, will become the first-team manager on an interim basis until the club find a permanent replacement for Martin.
Matt Le Tissier reacts to Southampton sacking Russell Martin
Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier has reacted to the news on X. The former Sky Sports pundit believes that Martin should have adapted his style in the Premier League this season.
The Saints played wonderful and attacking football under Martin in the last campaign and won promotion via the Championship playoffs.
It was a great watch last season under Russell but if we’re honest we got away with the way we played because of the quality of the opposition at times, always thought we’d need to adapt our style of play a little bit with the upgrade in the standard of opponent in the PL but…
— Matt Le Tissier ✝️ (@mattletiss7) December 15, 2024
Southampton are doomed for relegation
Southampton look destined for the dreaded drop to the Championship at the end of the season.
The Saints have won just one Premier League game all season. They have conceded 36 goals in 16 league matches.
With the likes of Leicester, Everton and Crystal Palace pulling away from the relegation zone and Southampton stuck to the foot of the table, it is going to take a miracle for the Saints to climb out of the bottom three.
Yes, a new manager could help. Martin’s replacement could change the system and make the defence tighter, but let us not ignore the fact that Southampton have scored just 13 goals in 16 Premier League matches this season.