How does a side that had twice the possession of the other, as well as a similar amount of attempts on goal, lose 3-1 ? Very simple, they keep making mistakes when trying to play their way out of trouble when it isn't on.

In the very first paragraphs of my preview, I suggested that the only thing that most Southampton fans agreed on was that Russell Martin needed to make changes to his side, pragmatics will point out there was a change, Aaron Ramsdale was straight into the side after his arrival from Arsenal, but the outfield 10 was exactly the same as the opening two games in the Premier League.

So what we got was the same results, a large amount of possession completely ruined by individual errors where we tried to play in tight situations when there was nothing on.

Saints started badly in this game, but they rode their luck a little and when the luck ran out Aaron Ramsdale made a few key saves, but they grew into the game and you felt that as half time approached that we had weathered the storm and could get something out of this game.

But then came yet another piece of catastrophic defending when trying to play our way out of trouble, the warning sign was there just 60 seconds earlier when we gave the ball away cheaply, but we got away with that, but we didn't learn the lesson from that and paid the price just 2 minutes before half time.

We could have equalised shortly afterwards, but whereas the Brentford forwards were full of confidence you could see ours was shot and we fluffed them.

At half time at least Russell Martin could see he had got things wrong, off went Smallbone & Armstrong going off and Matteus Fernandes & Cameron Archer coming on.

At this stage we started to move the ball around with a lot more fluidity and speed than the pedestrian pace of the first half.

Again for a while we looked ok, indeed on 56 minutes we brought on Tyler Dibling and you thought perhaps we could get something out of it, but on 65 minutes came yet another blunder in possession and again Brentford were quick to capitalise and doubled their score.

Four minutes later and we fell for a sucker punch, it was clear where the long throw was going, we failed to deal with it and it was flicked on, in truth Aaron Ramsdale did well to keep out the header, but it was changed into the net from close range by the onrushing Brentford man.

With 20 minutes left, things were not looking good for Saints, but somehow the score remained the same.

Perhaps the best goal of the game was in injury time when Tyler Dibling played a sublime ball to Adam Lallana who showed his class with a cushioned header to Yuri Suguwara who smashed the ball home.

But it was too little too late and you had the feeling that this was yet another game where we were architects of our own downfall.

I have said this on many occasions over the years, If you do the same things you get the same results !

This was very much the case, Russell Martin kept the same starting outfield 10 and we saw a soft goal conceded that was of our own making, I was going to say that yet again it was one where we still tried to play tippy tappy football when under pressure, but having seen it again on TV, that wasn't the case in the first two goals, it was about the fact that our central defenders, Jan Bednarek, Taylor-Harwood Bellis and Jack Stephens, are not good enough with their feet and like the goal against Newcastle, the first two goals were because we could not play simple balls or perhaps more damning make the decision to go long when it is needed.

That is worrying, I think that our decision making is flawed, I think our defenders are scared to play long under pressure as they feel that if they do they will be dropped.

I am not one of those who thinks that the manager should be sacked, but I am worried going forward that he will stick to his guns even when it is obvious that it is not working.

The issue is not playing possession football, the issue is firstly team selection and secondly the degree to which it is played, most teams play this type of game now, but they temper it to the ability of their squad, they know there is times when you have to go long.

On Saturday, like the other two games it is hard to see what our formation is, we are trying to play this hybrid where Jack Stephens is this floating player between defence and midfield, but he is not good enough to do this and the opposition level is way above last season and they can read the game and pick it off easier.

Read the stats and you would think it is us that should have won 3-1, 64% possession, 18 attempts on goal, only 2 less than the home side and 6 on target, this time only 1 less than Brentford, so how did we lose this game ?

Change is needed, Taylor Harwood Bellis & Jan Bednarek are both good central defenders, but they are not a good pairing, especially when you add Jack Stephens, they are all neither fish or fowl, there is no outstanding ball player and no genuine big strong and fast defender, none of them are true leaders of men at this level.

Personally I think we can easily rectify this, bring in both Charlie Taylor for his experience and Armel Bella-Kotchap who is big strong and fast and then decide who is best to slot in out of Bednarek & Harwood-Bellis.

In midfield have a holding pairing of Downes & Ugochukwu with Fernandes in front of them, up front play Archer & Brereton Diaz and possibly Tyler Dibling.

Some will ask why possibly ? the simple answer is whether he is ready for 90 minutes yet, over the year I have seen many youngsters make great starts, but as games go by and they don't score, the fans perception changes from promising youngster to yet another who can't score goals, I don't see Dibling as the latter, but he could see his confidence shattered if he is not used at the right times.

A very disappointing day at the office, one that we have to put down to the manager, he did the same things and he got the same results !

All Photos Via Reuters

davidargyll added 09:49 - Sep 2 I’m afraid I think you are being much too generous in your comments Nick. Saturdays display was surely was the epitome of a team that is all over the shop defensively with a manager who doesn’t know what to do about it given he refuses to change his system. Watching what in my view was a near train crash of an interview with RM - not looking at the camera, trying to big up the team’s performance, looking miserable, saying it was his fault - I got the distinct impression that he was trying to hide a sense of defeatism, along the lines of “it’s all going wrong, the players are losing confidence, I don’t know what to do, I’m out of my depth, take me out of my misery”; and hence his comment about living and dying by the sword, which is another way of saying “I think it’s only a matter of time before I get the boot.” What is more this must leak back to the team, and the latest comments, from the likes of Adam Lallana and Jack Stephens surely show that team spirit is fragile at best. And what will happen to it in the Man U game if we ship a silly goal or two? But more importantly, having spent around £60m+ net in the transfer window, the really interesting question now is how long SR will now give him, because they must see that currently we are cannon-fodder for every other team in the PL. I reckon end-November max and could be (much) less if we don’t get some points on the board PDQ and the boos ring out at SMS

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Farlow added 10:01 - Sep 2 One of your best game analys reports Nick.I agree Bella Kotchap must come in but i think it,s now time to chuck Dibling in even for the first hour.The problem is RM Has too show he,s not a one trick pony and adapt the system to one that the players are comfortable with
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DorsetIan added 10:08 - Sep 2 After their performances last season, RM had to give Smallbone and Armstrong a decent chance to show that they have improved and can cut it in this League. I suspect he's done that now and others will now start. Bednarek and Bellis formed a great central defensive partnership last year. Bellis IS a leader but is stepping up a level and will need time to get up to speed. Bednarek is a good defender. I agree that Ugochuckwu should play instead of Stephens as proper defensive midfielder but for the same reason as above Stephens needed to be given a chance. As well as picking the team and the tactics, RM also has a job to do in maintaining team morale and confidence. I would personally like to see KWP playing at right back which is his natural position with maybe Charlie Taylor at LB. That would be harsh on Suguawara who's looked good but so be it. Lallana and Dibbling both looked very good and will surely play more of a part going forward. RM can see exactly what we can see and he's not stupid. If what he is doing seems like stubbornness, I think he deserves our patience. It came good last season after a very shaky start and maybe he is going to prove us all wrong again.

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JoeEgg added 10:24 - Sep 2 Agree with much that you say Nick, but I too think you are being much too generous to Russell Martin. Having said that if you look at the complete League Table it is amazing that after just THREE games, it already looks much as you might expect it to look at the END of the season. Captain Jack's comments that he doesn't think we are really committed to the RM style is even more worrying - until of course you realise that Russell has two weeks now to iron out all the problems and then presumably everything will be alright! The way the manager tries to 'big up' the players and their performances is his way of desperately getting the team to support him with constant references to 'brilliant in that moment' or player X was 'fantastic'! So the players love him and RM can claim he has the full support of the entire squad! Even the television commentators are claiming that his players are not good enough to play the RM way. The Premier League will punish us every time - especially as we do not possess a confident goalscorer to place the opposition under any real pressure. Sports Republic will stick with their man - and presumably there is just a chance we will get some better results from time to time before Christmas. I repeat, RM thinks he is good enough for bigger and better things ahead - maybe even the Man City job. Maybe, maybe one day - but his stubbornness and arrogance right now is doing Saints no favours at all.

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dellboysaint added 10:26 - Sep 2 Look at Pickford on Saturday. Organised the defence successfully until the final few minutes. He mostly hit the ball long and Bournemouth were under pressure. We mess about outside our penalty are and invite trouble which leads to goals. Let's put the ball in the oppositions half and let them make mistakes. Tippy happy stuff on our half has no future.
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WestSussexSaint added 10:28 - Sep 2 With all the transfer dealings going on last week plus the Carabao cup game it wasn’t really a surprise to see minimal changes. From my viewpoint this is what i saw: - Ramsdale is clearly a mile ahead of any other GK we have at the club. Bear in mind he only had 24hrs with his new teammates so at times his distribution wasn’t great but that will improve over time. - RM won’t change the ethos of passing out from the back but as mentioned in the article the decision making of players needs to improve. For the first goal, had JS received the pass on the half turn he had two options ahead of him to break the press. Because he remained facing our goal the only option was to go back to THB who then compounded the issue by dithering. For the second JS and JB got in each others way. Beating the opposition press relies on outnumbering the players with short quick passing but if two players are in the same place that nullifies the advantage of the team playing out. - the passing out needs to be quicker. Players need to trust the receiver can accept the pass at pace, which in turn will give them a little more time to control and make the next pass. The passes were too cautious and so Brentford were able to anticipate and close quicker. - Going forward AA looks like he did 2 seasons ago. Out of his depth. With the players coming in I would expect him not to start the next game and be an option off the bench later in games when he has a bit more time and space as player tire. - The 3 CBs with The idea of JS moving into midfield to be the out ball hasn’t worked as per my comment about the first goal on Saturday . I would rather see two defensive midfielders in there who are specialists in that position which in theory then gives more passing options to break the press but maintains protection for the CBs. - RM post match comments did allude to personnel changes for the next game. With 2 weeks training for the newer players coming up that should help them get up to speed. I’m hoping we see a 4-3-3 against Man U with JB + 1 as centre back, Downes plus big Les as the holding midfielders and Fernandes ahead of them, with BBD on the left, Cornet replacing AA on the right and Archer in the middle. I still don’t see Dibling starting but he definitely is a great option off the bench. Big test for RM coming up. Let’s hope he gets then messages over to the players and the players can execute.

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Ripleys_revenge added 10:38 - Sep 2 Fully agree with this write up. RM often says how much the players enjoy playing this way. This may be the case in training, but results speak at the end of the day and it won't take long for players to turn on the manager the longer these performances, mistakes and results go on. Think it has the potential to unravel pretty quickly unless the manager takes a more pragmatic approach. There is some good elements to our passing and we do look capable for periods of games. But I think we can all already see the confidence draining from the players, leading to more unforced errors. It's a self perpetuating cycle as confidence seeps away, players get more edgy and make more mistakes. It also doesn't help that the one player who is supposed to be our captain and leader was indirectly at fault for 2 of the goals on Saturday, as well as the Newcastle mistake by the keeper. He has to make changes, drop Stephens at the very least and put players in positions they trust themselves and their teammates in.

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Andylad63 added 10:50 - Sep 2 Does anyone notice the similarities between the defence of their tactics by both Russel Martin and Nathan Jones. Albeit, Russel is, at the moment, less angry about questions regarding his abilities. I suspect as time goes on and pressure builds, he will turn on us and other questioning partys just as Nathan did. We all owe Russel Martin a debt of gratitude for last season but his complete inability to relax his principles will erode all that good will.

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redwight added 11:01 - Sep 2 Given that players do not deliberately give the ball away in dangerous positions, the question becomes whether JS, JB and THB can have the errors coached out of them or, in other words, whether they are skilful enough to play the system. What we were able to get away with last season we are not good enough to do in the Prem. and other teams will exploit this weakness relentlessly. RM is proud and stubborn and I cannot see him compromising on his principles. We have the players we need, but not the manager to get the best out of them.

1

dirk_doone added 11:04 - Sep 2 So, to sum up: the manager doesn't need to be sacked; he just needs a brain transplant.
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IanRC added 11:05 - Sep 2 I agree with a lot of these comments, particularly David and WSS. Jack Stephens was again the commen denominator in the major cock ups, when will Martin grow a pair and realise the captain needs to be changed a d Jack dropped. Similarly his attitude to Tyler beggars belief. If he really can't last 90 minutes, which I doubt, start him before we go a goal down. He is a major major talent at this rate he will be sold for a relative pittance (like Alcaraz) before we see the best of him. My view is that JB and THB are a perfectly good centre back partnership if we play sensibly and clear the ball when appropriate, I also think ABK would be good with either of them. KWP may well be better on the other side but Sugawra has been our best player by some margin. Perhaps move him into midfield (or even play him a striker given that he at least knows where the goal is - joking). So Martin, drop Stephens, make Flynn Downes captain play Fernandes and Dibling, tell your defenders to clear the ball when appropriate. Six points needed against Ipswich and Everton or time to go, is Potter still available.

5

A1079 added 11:10 - Sep 2 Agree with much of your analysis Nick and the contributors especially Westsussex. I would just add that as well as our errors at the back and against Newcastle in goal Smallbone has been poor at this level and Adam Armstrong looks the same as he did when he was last in the PL. Neither appear to be up to the level required. We need our strikers to score because if they don't, we are immediately hoping for a flawless display at the back and that looks highly unlikely at this level in any game. I am not one shouting or seeking RM to go (I want management stability and there is no guarantee based on previous recent history that SR would make the right selection) but if he does not deal with the issues and make the right selections and become more adaptable in his tactics and style he will be the architect of his own eventual dismissal. The Man Utd game is now becoming very interesting for both managers. Both are facing question marks over their style and ability to get a team to perform. I fear that Man Utd (as they often do when they are criticised) will respond better and whilst we may put up a fight the outcome may well be the same. The last 3 games are ones you feel we should have picked up at least a couple of points.

2

allsaint54 added 11:13 - Sep 2 Sack RM now to give us a fighting chance of staying up, else we'll be relegated by Xmas. Bring in a manager who can see like everybody else that Stevens, Slowbone & Armstrong aren't up to the PL. Hopefully they will scrap this suicidal playing out from the back at all costs which at this level we just can't do
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HythePeer added 11:17 - Sep 2 Three points: In the concept "Playing out from the back," the most important word is "out," not "playing!" The best players should play 60 minutes, not 30. If I remember correctly, last season they played as the manager wanted and lost the first 4 games. Then they abandoned his ideas and won every game. So how many games are left for us to endure this pain?
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halftimeorange added 11:59 - Sep 2 There are , to my mind, four possible outcomes to our current problems:- Allow RM to continue with his ways and accept the consequences RM changes his method of play to suit our players The players change the style of play to suit what they can do best RM is dismissed and a less fanciful head coach is appointed We really don't want to see another 0-9 at St Marys (or elsewhere involving Saints) I think we do have a good enough squad to see us through but, time is not something we'll be given in abundance in this division.

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davidargyll added 12:01 - Sep 2 (Sorry Joe Egg voted you a minus by mistake. Should have been a plus!)
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Bowlercow added 13:00 - Sep 2 When promoted under Adkins we lost,I think the first 4 games.No need to panic yet .Russ has been very kind to last year's team and given them a chance to prove they arePL players What he must now do is start from scratch and pick a team (from quite a good squad)that is best suited to the PL Rambo Sugersea Taylor THB KWP Downed Big Les Fernandez Kornet Archer Diaz At ,60 minutes bring on TD Al a d others according to our needs

1

Jellybaby added 13:01 - Sep 2 Sorry to say the common denominator in the calamitous defending is Captain Jack.
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Block8 added 13:02 - Sep 2 Most of it's been said but we seem to have forgotten we have Edwards a very good ball playing CB, ABK was poor positionally when we were relegated! One of the reasons we cock up is that all the managers know exactly how we are going to play and press high, forcing the mistakes. We need at least 4 passes to beat a press and we rarely get past 3 (and I don't meant backwards) this is because we have pulled the midfield back to create an extra man and there is no one to receive pass 4! The long ball isn't on because we have no out & out CF, both strikers being asked to attack from wide positions. So the whole set up needs to change! Also Aribo has been a winger, prior to arriving here & is too one footed to play in midfield, push him forward if you must play him. We have some good offensive players that are being forced into playing styles alien to them, which means we are not seeing the best of them?

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saintmark1976 added 13:27 - Sep 2 Firstly Nick, thanks for a good balanced report. To your great credit, you have in the past remained positive even when others ( myself included ) commented negatively. This time however I sense that even your patience is running out. For what it’s worth, in my view our problem this season is split between the method of play and our lack of a proven Premiership goal scorer. Diaz, Archer and Armstrong have previously scored only 14 top flight goals between them and they are not exactly starting out on their careers are they ? Man City could play tippy football with our forwards and they would be mid table at the very best. Successful possession based football requires goal scoring chances to be taken.On Saturday both Aribo and Armstrong missed good chances that would have altered the course of the game. I can’t help but think that the money we have spent in the last window would have been better used in improving the forward line rather than buying endless numbers of midfield players and a goalkeeper. Conclusion ? We haven’t got good enough forwards to play tippy tappy thus our method of play must change and change quickly. Will change happen ? Not according to our esteem leader, leaving all of us in for some very miserable times to come at St Mary’s and around the country this season I suspect..

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derbydog added 13:42 - Sep 2 In a nutshell, why sign 14 players and not play most of them. A back four with Lesley and Downrs just in front has to be a more effective defence than we have see. Dibling and Archer must play and Rodriguez probably as well. Maybe Cornet and Fraser the other two.
0

AmericanSaint added 15:06 - Sep 2 Some very good points by all. Not to rehash most of them, but I think we need to go to a 4-3-3 , because we have nobody up the middle at the top, so the opposition CB can play wider and squeeze out forwards who are just sitting on the sidelines. We don pass the ball fast enough to get around the corner for this to work. Also, we don't skip-pass to the wings fast enough, so the opposition can shift in time. I agree with everyone who stated the Dibling needs to start. RM excuse is about fitness and experience is BS. Smallbone, Aribo and Armstrong need to sit the next match. Finally, I think RM has no plan B with his stupid "Live by the sword" comment. You know what is a Plan B - Tall Paul. We can use him as a target man and cross in to the box. Finally, I agree with the post that our CBs are scared to boot the ball for fear that RM will bench them the next game because they are not playing his idea of football out form the back. He needs to let them know it is OK to boot it long if you dont have a clear outlet to the sideline. Ok, two weeks to try and forget this nightmare of a game and then Manure to play, who look just as lost. Kudos to Siguwara for a brilliant goal.

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kenchilds70 added 16:40 - Sep 2 My summation is trying to play champagne football with a lemonade team.
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landsdownsaint added 16:51 - Sep 2 I can’t believe he’s playing Aribo , Smallbone , JS & AA together in the starting eleven !? , personally I can’t believe I pay a ticket in the & see JS in a PL team . As for RM does he not realise the opposition is letting him have his huge possession stats ? We just about scrapped thru the championship playing his “ Russell ball “ , if he can’t mix it up a bit in the next couple of games then he’s got to go .

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bryanK added 16:54 - Sep 2 I cannot disagree with the largely negative reaction to the Brentford result. Extremely disappointing and to some extent avoidable. We all have our views on how to correct this but as it appears our Manager like Margret Thatcher is “Not for turning”. I give him 10 games and unless results improve Sports Republic will no doubt do the deed. I understand him trying to stick with the players who earned our promotion but honestly how many are good enough for this level.

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