Russell Martin, when asked what a successful season for Southampton would look like, described it as one where he is still manager in May and Saints stay in the Premier League.
It seemed very much like odds against both at the end of a thrilling, rollercoaster afternoon at St Mary’s, where Martin heard roars of approval as Southampton led 2-0 against Leicester City at half-time turn to full fury as they contrived to lose 3-2.
Martin’s passing principles have become a major talking point already this season, the manager refusing to budge an inch on his insistence on how the game must be played despite mounting evidence that he – or at least something – must change or both the manager and Southampton will be in serious trouble.
He told BBC’s Football Focus: “There is a difference between being stubborn and having conviction. If you really believe in something as a coach, manager, leader, then the logic for me is that you stick with it and try to be better at it.”
Martin also added, more pertinently, in another interview: “No-one cares unless you win.”
And Southampton are not winning.
The major problem for Martin is that he and Southampton are trying to get better at what they do in the unforgiving hothouse of the Premier League, where better players punish mistakes, where naivety carries a heavy price.
And it was all on display as they threw away a deserved position of promise delivered by an excellent 45 minutes, a lead courtesy of Cameron Archer and Joe Aribo cast aside as Leicester struck through Facundo Buonanotte and Jamie Vardy’s penalty before Jordan Ayew’s 98th-minute effort squirmed past keeper Aaron Ramsdale.
A recipe for relegation? What stats say about Martin’s style
There was venom in the reaction from Southampton’s stunned fans when Anthony Taylor’s final whistle sounded. It was the sharpest of contracts from the reception at half-time.
The statistics illustrate Martin’s reliance on passing, as they rank fourth in the Premier League with an average of 528 passes per game and sixth measured in possession, 55.6%.
Martin must now reflect on the more telling statistic that Southampton are bottom of the Premier League with one point from eight games, conceding 18 goals, second only to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
A journey through Martin’s managerial career does not offer any suggestion he will change his modus operandi, even though there must be increasing concerns around Southampton that such a poor start will be a main ingredient in a recipe for relegation.
From the start of his time at MK Dons from November 2019 his team were top of the table for both passing and possession in League One, averaging 469 passes per game and 58.5% possession until the end of that season, then heading that measure again the following season with 544 passes per game and 64% possession.
MK Dons finished 19th in 2019-20 then 13th in 2020-21, his approach earning him a move to Swansea City, where he succeeded Steve Cooper, Leicester City’s manager here, before the start of the following season.
The trend continued in south Wales, Swansea finishing top of the Championship passing standings with 598 per game and also the possession statistics with 63.9% as they finished 15th. The following season they were top of passing with 594 per game and second in possession on 64% as they finished 10th.
It was next stop Southampton for Martin, his style reflected once more as they played more passes per game than any other team, 667, enjoying 66.1% possession, the highest in the division as they came up via the play-offs.
Are there ominous echoes of Burnley under Kompany?
Martin’s high-risk strategy has already been exposed in the Premier League, particularly in defeats away to Brentford and Bournemouth before this desperately dispiriting loss, not helped by a lack of resilience in the team that had already started to surface before what turned into a total collapse against Leicester.
Southampton and Martin are repeating their failings while expecting different results. It is not happening, with pressure now increasing on the manager alongside the possibility they could become marooned at the bottom.
It all looked so different as Saints dominated the first half but the mood turned ugly at the end, a combination of anger and disbelief at the turn of events that had been witnessed.
Martin said: “Right now there is no message I can give that is helpful because of the emotion everyone is feeling.”
On the post-match reaction of Southampton’s furious fans, he added: “I’ve nothing to say apart from that I need to keep working and we need to win a game of football. I hope they will always turn up and support their team, they’ve been amazing.”
There are ominous echoes of Burnley under Vincent Kompany last season, another manager who took his principles on the passing game straight back into the Championship after winning promotion, finishing 19th with only five wins and 24 points, before he landed the coach’s job at Bayern Munich.
Martin does not give off the air of a manager who is willing to sacrifice principle for pragmatism and potential safety that switch in approach might, although only might, bring.
It is a strategy as heavily laced with risk as his game-plan, one which will require the support of an understanding and sympathetic fanbase and board.
As far as Southampton’s support was concerned, the bitter ending here at St Mary’s was a point where any remaining patience was tested to the limit.