Oh.
https://x.com/J_Tanswell/status/1838941845910417695?t=bes1Zmez-7hjKmDapZp81g&s=19
Well, he clearly was failing for us on purpose while he was looking for a move
Possibly requested a personal hearing knowing he would get a further ban (as they normally do if found against) hoping that Russel Martin has gone by the time he is allowed back in the team.
To be principled or to be practical?
Adam Blackmore
BBC Radio Solent sports editor
Image source,Getty Images
I have just received my first random email from a betting company with a list of potential new Southampton managers and their odds to replace Russell Martin. My first thought was āblimey, theyāre quick off the markā and then I thought āmaybe Iām old and slow and believe every manager needs time and should get timeā.
I prefer being old and slow and 25 years watching football for a living has taught me that rarely does a constant revolving door of managers benefit a club long-term. But Iām not the one whoās spent the money. Iām not Dragan Solak. Iām not a Serbian media mogul who bought a club in the Premier League and watched it self-implode and nose-dive into the Championship ignominiously. Iāve not spent Ā£200m to see my club gloriously return to the top-flight at Wembley, and Iāve not then spent a good chunk of change in the transfer window having got my Premier League revenue back, only to see my team with no wins in six and swept aside by the American-owned club down the road.
But hang on a minute. Surely Sports Republic are building a multi-club business with Southampton as the figure-head club? A business with a playing style and academy ethos all based on a sustainable model of development, playing a way that improves players and adds value to great finds around the world, thanks to a wide network of scouting resources. I thought the appointment of Russell Martin by Sport Republic was exactly because of the way he played, as approved of by former (and briefly) director of football Jason Wilcox.
So what happens when the principles get blurred by pressure, by results, and by money? Will Saintsā ownership hold their nerve and let Russell play the season out in the hope that they will come good in the end, even if the end is relegation? The last time Saints were under pressure in the Premier League Ralph Hassenhuttl was sacked in November 2022, only for Sport Republic to make a series of awful decisions that accelerated their relegation. And the legacy of those decisions are impacting Martin now. The bloated squad he has doesnāt help him. Paul Onuachu and Kamaldeen Sulemana are two of Southamptonās most expensive buys ever. They are still at the club, but you wouldnāt know it if you didnāt look closely.
Southampton have bought some very good young talent this summer, but you donāt win anything with kids, right? We can however hope they can win a game or two. But their policy of buying mid-ranged priced players who have plenty of potential upside is a business strategy that the manager has bought into and agreed to work with, not a strategy he devised for his own benefit. And if he is the right man to improve those players and earn the club some money when they sell them, does that come before staying in the Premier League?
Or is it on Martin to find a way to win games by moving away from his and the clubās principles to make sure they stay up? Isnāt the biggest principle in sport to win? Southampton has a great tradition for developing talent and want to do it again. But will fans be patient? Will Solak agree to that, as he watches his Premier League revenue streams float off into the distance?
Two of Southamptonās next three games are away to Arsenal and Manchester City. Good luck with that. The other three before the November international break are against Leicester, Everton and Wolves. Success in those games could dictate whether Saints take a break from their principles or not. They hired Martin because of his footballing principles ā they aligned with those of the club. He is still playing with them. Is that naĆÆve or authentic? Vincent Kompany stuck to his way and Burnley stuck with him last season. He ended up at Bayern Munich, they ended up in the Championship.
However much I admire Russell for having principles, history tells us the principle of money and owners always win in the end. So letās hope he can adapt, learn, keep improving the team and getting results because if he canāt then I fear for him during that November international break. Remember rememberā¦ā¦just ask Ralph
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From the Aussie Saints 
Where will our next point come from?
Where Will Our Next Point Come From
- Stop being negative, weāll beat Arsenal this weekend to launch our #titlecharge
- As part of a league sanctioned points sharing system to divvy up Cityās total when theyāre found guilty of all 5,637 charges
- When the star is placed on the Christmas tree at Staplewood
- The 2025/26 Championship season
- Whatās the point of this post?
0 voters
Wrexham at home opening day of next season
In the Championship
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Arsenal and Citeh are free hits and nil points anyway. I hope Russ finds the wins he needs from the Leicester, Everton and Wolves games to earn some more time.
Plenty want him gone, but heās still got credit with me after last season.
4 Likes
Heāll always have that, whatever happens. Just like Nigel.
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