Their midweek defeat against Ipswich Town was their third in a row, with another defensive error proving to be costly as the Tractor Boys claimed a 1-0 win following Omari Hutchinson’s strike.

The one positive they can take from that game is the fact they didn’t concede more than one – but they didn’t do enough in the final third to earn a point.

They didn’t create enough chances during the latter stages of the game – and that will come as a concern for Martin who will need to solve that as well as their defensive woes.

Who do Southampton face next?

Conceding nine goals in two matches on either side of the international break against Sunderland and Leicester City, this weekend’s opponents Middlesbrough will be encouraged by that.

 

Boro aren’t exactly full of confidence either considering they currently sit bottom of the division, having won just two points from a possible 21 in their opening seven league games.

However, the Saints collapsed during their last away game at the Stadium of Light and this is why this weekend’s clash at the Riverside is so difficult to predict.

In fairness to Martin, his side endured a pretty decent start to the campaign, winning three and drawing one of the opening four league games. But their recent results have come as a slight concern.

What did Sam Edozie say about Russell Martin?

Although Edozie was never going to slate Martin in public, the ex-Man City player explicitly stated that his team still has full confidence in their manager despite their recent rough patch.

He told the Daily Echo: “It’s very important that we have got to stick to the process. The manager believes in us and we believe in him.

“We will keep playing how he wants us to play and hopefully it’s going to get us the result we need on the weekend.

“Everyone makes mistakes. We are all human. It’s just about dealing with those mistakes and not losing your confidence after making a mistake.

“You have to keep going and keep trying again. Once we start minimising the mistakes then our performances will improve.”

These comments will have come as a real boost to Martin, who has been the subject of criticism on social media.

Should Southampton keep their faith in Russell Martin?

If the Saints wanted to get back to the Premier League at the first time of asking at all costs, they have hired the wrong manager.

It was always going to take time for Martin to implement his style and there were always going to be mistakes in defence. There have been plenty in recent times.

They also made a good start to the season, so the Saints shouldn’t be thinking about sacking him yet.

However, football is a results business and this is why Martin needs to get some wins on the board sooner rather than later.

Substance is just as important as style and if he fails to get results in the coming months, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him get the boot.