Russell Martin is walking on thin ice following Southampton’s latest defeat at the hands of Leicester City.
Southampton took on Leicester in an early relegation six-pointer on Saturday afternoon. Cameron Archer and Joe Aribo scored to give the Saints a two-goal advantage.
Supporters were possibly lulled into a false sense of security, believing that this would be their first three points of the season.
However, those aspirations were dashed when Ryan Fraser was sent off for dragging Jamie Vardy’s shirt into the box after Facundo Buonanotte had reduced the deficit.
Vardy converted from 12 yards, blasting the ball past Aaron Ramsdale, before Jordan Ayew broke Saints hearts with a dramatic 98th-minute goal. Southampton could have had a penalty with the score at 2-2 after Ayew tugged Paul Onuachu’s shirt, but the referee was not having it, and Martin suffered his seventh defeat in eight games. The Southampton board continues to back Russell Martin.
Despite their poor start in the Premier League, Martin still has the support of the Southampton board, who are unwilling to give up on the man who won them promotion nine games ago. According to Sky Sports, the club is determined to avoid making quick decisions based on emotion, instead focusing on the club’s long-term strategy and how Martin fits into it.
While their faith in the 38-year-old is admirable, it may have long-term consequences for their top-flight future, since Martin has done nothing to suggest he is the man to get the Saints out of trouble.
Southampton can either rely on sentimental value, believing in a project that may not see them survive in the second division, or recruit someone with experience keeping teams in the Premier League.
If they decide to fire the Englishman, there is currently one manager available who checks the second box, and then some. Southampton should replace Martin with David Moyes.
Southampton are in a terrible situation at the bottom of the table, and no one believes that keeping Martin will improve their condition.
Unless they recruit a Premier League-proven manager such as David Moyes, the Saints may reach the Christmas period at the bottom of the table and facing relegation.
Moyes, who was let go by West Ham in the summer, may have been disappointed after seeing how Julen Lopetegui has performed in East London.
The Scot has extensive experience in the top level, having managed 697 matches and won 269 of them.
Most crucially, he has a track record that some managers can only dream of, having transformed West Ham from relegation contenders to Europa Conference League winners in his six years at the club.
He is tactically astute, excels at putting up a solid defense and extracting every ounce of quality from his players, something the present manager lacks.
Jurgen Klopp famously called Moyes ‘amazing,’ and the veteran has played the third-most games in Premier League history, trailing only Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger.
In the Saints’ fight for survival, employing someone like Moyes could be their last shot of converting a grim situation into a positive one, though it remains to be seen whether the former Everton manager will be sold on the club’s current condition.
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