Once again it was a case of deja vu, we did the same things and made the same mistakes and got the same result, when is this all going to end, enough is enough, are we going to sleepwalk to the lowest points total in Premier League history or are we going to change something !

There wasn't much arguing about the starting line up, not many Southampton supporters would have picked a team much different given the players available, but that is just about the only good thing you could say about this game.

Saints started brightly and had a couple of good attacks before Villa really got going, but then after a good start they shot themselves in the foot, in truth they got lucky seconds earlier when Joe Lumley played a short ball as per the possession football handbook, but he played in poorly and only some good defending kept the ball out, Lumley grabbing the ball must have thought im not doing that again and drop kicked it forward, something definitely not in the possession football handbook.

The ball was played back forward by Villa and it should really have been dealt with, but Taylor Harwood-Bellis instead of clearing the ball under pressure stuck to the handbook and tried to play his way out of it and was caught out and we were 1-0 down.

The rest of the game followed a pattern most Saints fans will know well, some puzzling substitutions and getting away with a few things.

What epitomised this game and indeed our season was late on as Villa counter attacked and really should have put the game to bed, the ball went across the goal and Kyle Walker-Peters got their first, he was closed down on the dead ball line inside his own six yard box, surely it would be hoofed but KWP stuck to the possession football handbook and turned back towards his own goal.

Only one man in the entire ground could not see what was happening, that man was Russell Martin, in his mind the only thing going wrong is that his team are not following his instructions to the letter, if they were then his possession football game would be working, the blame lies with the fact that his players are not following instructions, it is no fault of his own.

If you are Pep Guardiola with the best players in the world then you can stick to the game plan, but for every other manager it is about adapting your tactics to suit the players that you have to hand and setting up the possession game to get the best of what you have to hand.

Russell Martin once again showed no sign that he has is going to try and other solution to get his team out of the mire, other than demand they stick to his instructions.

I would say that it its time that Martin goes, but the truth is that point was reached about 4-5 games ago, Russell Martin has been given more than a fair chance to prove he is the man for the job, but cannot or will not change and adapt and that is not the sign of a good manager.

His team selections have become more erratic and more desperate, he ignores some players and tries those that have never done anything for the club such as Sulemana.

To be honest I am getting sick to death of it, this is Ian Branfoot all over again, but the exact opposite in terms of style of play, both managers have the same trait, that of believing that they have to stick to their style of play come whatever.

That was in 1994, yet here we are in 2024 over 30 years later in the same situation, back then we did not have the internet, the fans had to make their protests physically at games, that does not happen these days, but rants on social media achieve nothing in football.

So what will happen next, I would have hoped that by the time i write this as 3pm on Sunday afternoon that something had happened, but it hasn't, perhaps it is still a bit soon after the game and if we are to make the change we have to have a successor in place, so I am not overtly concerned.

Russell Martin is shell shocked, he cannot change and does not know what to do next, he will point to the transfer window and say we can fix that then, but that will be too late and to be blunt given the lack of game time for most of the summer signings, I wonder about his ability to judge a player.

Yes the club recruiting system will identify players, but the manager has the final say and Martin cannot seem to see the good from the bad in a player, we let the likes of Shea Charles and Sam Edozie go and bring in Maxwel Cornet & Lesley Upgochukwu.

Cornet has managed just 6 minutes more Premier League football than Edozie's 65 minutes before he departed for Anderlecht on loan.

I could write more, but the truth is I have been saying it all before for the last 3 months and nothing has changed, I am writing the same match verdicts virtually game in game out and that perhaps tells you something I am seeing a manager doing the same things and making the same mistakes.

All Photos Via Reuters

IanRC added 15:31 - Dec 8 Another dig at Sulemana Nick …. Maybe the reason he hasn’t done anything is because he is brought on with 5 minutes to go and the game well lost. In the cup game where he played he refreshingly moved the ball forward quickly and put in some good crosses, as well as defending well. Bet Potter would give him a proper chance. Sports Republic in general and Ankerson in particular clearly have no wish to see us remain in the Premier League it would appear.

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davidargyll added 15:41 - Dec 8 As i have said elsewhere, football, especially Premier League football should be, above all else, FUN. So Yes, whilst I agree with every word that has been written about what a dreadful manager Russell Martin is, isn’t his biggest crime, regardless of the results, making our style of play so EFFING DULL? I should think there is not a single fan who can honestly say that they enjoy watching us, because not only are we bad, we are BORINGLY BAD!!!

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landsdownsaint added 16:28 - Dec 8 I think RM believes he knows more about the game than any ex players , Pundits & fans! Everyone says the same thing in that he has t got the players for how he wants to play . Even if he had the players I’m not sure it wouldn’t work , most teams play the possession football but their managers will mix it up . I really feel for Diaz Archer , Onauchu they get nothing … I seee Ralph’s doing good, should’ve stuck with him , we’ve had second rate managers since

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MytchettSaint added 16:29 - Dec 8 The only time Sports Republic might panic about the fans turning, is at season ticket renewal time. Until then I get the feeling they couldn’t care less.
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kingolaf added 16:32 - Dec 8 Just like 30 years ago we need an Alan Ball style bounce back.
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JoeEgg added 17:15 - Dec 8 We managed a grand total of ZERO shots on target in the entire match. Presumably Lumley's kick clearance which our much respected manager blamed for the goal that we gave away, was also responsible for having nobody on the pitch prepared to take a shot at goal in case the same respected manager insisted that they should pass and pass and walk the ball into the goal. If Martin is not sacked Monday then surely its time the fans protested in such a way that SR are left with no option but to get rid of him. It may be too late to save our position in the Premier League, but at least we can enjoy going to matches again, watch some proper football and maybe, just maybe realise that some of the lads Martin despises because they dont suit his style, might not be so bad as the current manager thinks!

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AmericanSaint added 18:04 - Dec 8 So many things wrong it is not funny. WHY do you pay Bree instead of Siguwara (who can cross and play the ball forward). THB had a Horrible game and I counted 4 times that AA made runs behind the defense into open space with THB on the ball and all THB could do was raise his hand and say sorry. So Liverpool have Mo Salah, who they specifically play the ball over the top into open space so he can use his speed. RM - maybe here is an idea - use AA and Archer the same way - duh!!!. Dibbling has a poor game over all and went missing the whole 1st half. Are we under orders not to cross or shoot from the edge of the box and are required to dribble the ball into the net??? Enough - so here is my prediction: KWP, Tall Paul will be sold in the transfer window. In the summer when we are relegated, THB, Dibbling, Mateus, Ramsdale and Siguwara will be sold, and I think Downes, Archer, AA, Aribo and Sulemana will ask to leave. Final note - due to RM's arrogance and stupidity (along with SR), I will not and cannot watch any more Saints games until he is gone. This type of football is suicidal and I get mad every time I watch a player slow down the attack for the sole purpose of "possession". I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

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Colburn added 18:17 - Dec 8 The players looked lost, confused and devoid of confidence. We have no idea of how to attack the oppo’s box unless our two creative players break their lines and that rarely happened yesterday. I didn’t see the point in giving Sulemana 3 mins of added time to do something, utterly pointless. The one throw in we had in the second half right by their corner flag ended up with our goalie when we were a goal down with 10 mins left just about summed up our boring unimaginative tactics and Martin wonders why we had no shots on target. Another game and loss starting with 5 at the back which we know hasn’t worked. What is KWP doing playing left side of centre back with Manning to his left at wing back? This is beginning to turn in to another laughing stock moment in the clubs history with the chiefs stood around watching doing nothing to stop the madness. I would rather go down with another manager than Martin as I don’t think he realises the flaws in his ideology which will cause problems irrespective of the league he’s in unless he is managing Barcelona or Man Cheaty.

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mushinexile added 18:50 - Dec 8 I really do not think that he has the ability to manage either, do you?
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bartley41 added 20:12 - Dec 8 Just a thought. if RM had any common sense and resigned he would leave without any blemish on his CV as being sacked. He could then boast I left of my own accord, surly better than being Sacked for my own incompetence!
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deanmiller added 21:24 - Dec 8 I simply can't understand how RM is still in the job. Unbelievable situation.
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wrathoftazz added 22:08 - Dec 8 Speaking to a friend that works there, RM is not being sacked and plans are in place for CH footie next season. So, the problem doesn't appear to be RM but actually SR... they are "apparently" the ones that want the team to play this way and are happy to sacrifice whatever, to make it happen. Maybe it is time for "old skool" protests, as social media and the boos just are not working

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SanMarco added 23:35 - Dec 8 I agree with the general consensus - 99% of us have had more than enough so I won't add more. Just one little thing on Branfoot as Nick brings him up. He is the legendary hated manager and to know why you just had to watch the 'football'. He did however keep us up for 2 seasons and, who knows, may have done for the third one. He was, to a fault (to many faults) a total pragmatist who said 17th success and 18th failure and feck off if you hate the football. We didn't like it but I can't help feeling that we could do with just a tiny bit of that pragmatism now.

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DPeps added 10:34 - Dec 9 I agree with most of what's said above. However I don't think SR will get rid of RM because I think they see him as a long term project. It's harder to stay up having been promoted these days - all 3 promoted clubs last season went down and I predict that the same thing will happen this year. The difference between championship football and PL football, combined with FFP restrictions on spending make staying up a very difficult proposition these days. As business owners (because like it or not, that's what football club owners are these days) SR will have a 5 year plan, and that will have included the likelihood that SFC will go down this season. Their ideal scenario is probably that we follow Fulham's model: yo-yo for a few seasons and eventually manage to get a good enough team, and a bad season for other teams, that means that at some point you stay up. Because RM got us promotion I reckon SR would assume that he can get us up again. I'm not condoning this approach but just trying to be objective about what SR might be doing. The difficulty for SR is who they get in if they do sack RM. Potter won't come - he'll be waiting for a more established PL club to sack (Wolves I'd guess). Cooper's track record is a bit tarnished now. Danny Rohl has worked wonders at Sheffield Wednesday and many of us assumed he was the brains behind Ralph...

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Bowlercow added 15:46 - Dec 9 DPeps thanks for the one common sense post on here today I know that I am currently in a small minority but I want RM to stay and I want to see his style succeed Anyone who thinks I am unhinged just remember Columbus was the only one who thought the world was round but I think you will find he was right
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underweststand added 15:55 - Dec 9 The same procedure in the last match ..and every match. Theoretically, "Russball" deprives the opposition possession, but does nothing to encourage attacking efforts, yet opponents had more scoring chances. In last 5 Saints had; 9, 7, 10, 6 and 4 = 27 shots. In those same games opponents have had ; 8, 27,22, 26 and 28 = 101 shots (yes) 101. Goals scored 4 ....goals conceded 12 . Points gained =1 Points lost= 14. ' nuff said !

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Boris1977 added 23:01 - Dec 9 It's good to have healthy debate and opposing views and respect for any reasoned argument. I think the flaw in any potential plan involving saints and RM yo-yoing relies on having some consistency in terms of team selection and an element of learning from mistakes which RM just has not done and in terms of team selections he doesn't do. We were very lucky to come up this season and the big twist in the season was the injury the GK which forced RM to change his approach for the last few games and importantly the final v Leeds. We still rode our luck including Leeds hitting the bar and saints almost playing into trouble several times in the first half. When we go down we'll likely lose several of our better players, it's hard to say how many, and we'll be at the mercy of sport republics punting transfer lottery - which has had mixed results - that's being generous. So we'll start next season with RM trying to get several new entrants indoctrinated into his system which will go bring the same issues we currently have. Sports Republic are not going to buy the finished article in key positions and RM isn't going to change his ideas. Sounds like checkmate on terms of any chance of progress. The least they can do is speak to the fans about their motivations because this element is showing their lack of class, which has never been on show this far in their time at the helm. I genuinely cannot see how the club progress with sports republic in charge of the club. COYRs

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