Three for the price of one in this week’s oppo profile as Saints Analysis (@saints_analysis), Jake Hughes (@JJHughes) and Martin Sanders (@FootballMartin_) run us through Southampton’s attempts to adapt to Russell Martin’s unique style while bouncing straight back to the Premier League.

How has Southampton's season been so far?

SA: Overall, I would say it’s been very good. Not a 10/10, but easily an 8.5/9 in my eyes. We’re now winning games pretty comfortably and dealing with the pressure of being a relegated Premier League club well. If we hadn’t slipped up with a poor run earlier in the season, maybe we’d be up with Leicester and Ipswich.

Martin: The season’s been okay. We started off quite well and then had a blip in September where we lost four on the trot. We haven’t lost since the end of September which was at Middlesbrough away - I think Russell Martin had taken a bit of time to set the team up as he wished and there was a lot of business done late in the window. There is big expectation down here from the ownership and board who want to go straight back to the Premier League, he’s totally changed the style of play from a team that would try and play on the counter to one that controls games. It’s taken time. He’s doing okay, the last 14 games have been brilliant, we’ve found some really good form home and away.

Southampton so far…
Sheff Wed 1-2 Southampton Gregory 54 - Armstrong 8, Adams 87
Gillingham 3-1 Southampton Nadesan 12, McKenzie 51, 67 – Alcaraz 89
Southampton 4-4 Norwich Bednarek 17, Armstrong pen 21, pen 90, Adams 57 – Sargent 7, Sara 23, Rowe 45, Fassnacht 84
Plymouth 1-2 Southampton Hardie 51 – Tella 49, Adams 90
Southampton 2-1 QPR Edozie 30, Armstrong 64 – Colback 32
Sunderland 5-0 Southampton Clarke 1, Ekwah 7, 45, Dack 48, Rigg 90
Southampton 1-4 Leicester Edozie 25 – Vardy 1, McAteer 18, Ndidi 45, Mavididi 67
Southampton 0-1 Ipswich Hutchinson 30
Boro 2-1 Southampton McGree 44, Howson pen 66 – Armstrong 17
Southampton 3-1 Leeds Armstrong 2, 35, Smallbone 31 – Striujk 58
Stoke 0-1 Southampton S Armstrong 41
Southampton 1-1 Rotherham S Armstrong 2 – Hugill 74
Hull 1-2 Southampton Delap 25 – Smallbone 20, Fraser 90
Preston 2-2 Southampton Osmajic 52, Potts 55 – Walker-Peters 33, Evans og 90
Southampton 3-1 Birmingham Harwood-Bellis 9, Alcaraz 22, Armstrong 86 – Stansfield 58
Millwall 0-1 Southampton Fraser 90
Southampton 2-1 West Brom Smallbone 5, Armstrong 79 – Bartley 65
Huddersfield 1-1 Southampton Jackson 87 – Armstrong 45
Southampton 1-0 Bristol City Walker-Peters 47
Southampton 2-0 Cardiff Armstrong 11, 15
Watford 1-1 Southampton Healey 90 – Adams 56
Coventry 1-1 Southampton Wright 50 – Edozie 67
Southampton 4-0 Blackburn Edozie 44, S Armstrong 64, Mara 90, Alcaraz 90

A little wobble in results shortly after we'd played you first time (four defeats in a row, a lot of goals conceded) what was behind that?

SA: Potentially with the transfer window still open, that may have been unsettling. We also needed to let new signings bed in and fully adjust to the new style of play. It was a poor run though, there’s no getting away from that.

Jake: It was a strange period of four games between international breaks. The opposition was tough, with Leicester and Ipswich beating us at home and two away days up in the north-east against Sunderland and Middlesbrough. The results weren’t good, but the manner of how we lost was of a big concern – particularly the 5-0 hammering up in Sunderland. Nothing seemed to click for those four games, but thankfully we seem to have turned a corner defensively since.

What's happened since? A huge long unbeaten run...

SA: We’ve built some really strong momentum now and we’re on a bit of a roll. Part of the fanbase took a while to warm to Russell Martin and his style, especially with the run of four losses, but now he’s got some great backing and it’s good to see our support fully behind the project. The possession style gives us almost suffocating control when we get it right, key players are playing with a real swagger and we’re looking to extend that unbeaten run towards the club record of 19 games, which we hope is doable with all due respect to this division.

Jake: We look a lot better defensively since Taylor Harwood-Bellis came into the side. He was a late window loan signing from Man City and, with club captain Jack Stephens injured, he’s slotted in on the right side of central defence next to Jan Bednarek and we suddenly started to look capable at the back. Flynn Downes, another loan signing (from West Ham this time) has also played a big part in shoring up that defence. That has helped Saints go on our ongoing run of results, gaining some good points on the road and at home. We don’t tend to score a ton of goals, so it helps that our defence is doing its job.

Martin: The biggest thing that’s happened is a long unbeaten run which comes down to a change of mentality. Colin Calderwood came in as a defensive coach and he must be having an input because since he’s been around it’s certainly improved. Flynn Downes getting fit has been massive he’s been excellent in central midfield on loan from West Ham. Very good impact players from the bench – Ryan Fraser on loan from Newcastle has been making big impact as a sub. The goals Adam Armstrong has been scoring for us have been outstanding. The togetherness of the squad and players has been good and that’s filtered through to the fanbase where there’s a very good feeling right now.

Thoughts on Russell Martin so far? His football can divide opinions even when winning...

SA: I’m personally a big fan of Russell Martin. I think he wants to build something here and he seems like a really good character for the club to have leading the way. A small portion probably still aren’t convinced by the style, but I think it’s remarkable how well the team is coached now compared to last season.

Jake: After the past few seasons we’ve had, I’m loving what I’m seeing with Saints under Russell Martin. It’s nice to see Southampton play with the ball, rather than against it. While I loved our football in the earlier days under Ralph Hasenhuttl, the way our team set up focusing on aggressive counter pressing got found out and the football – and results – have been really poor the last few years. It can be slow at times, but we’re now playing on the front foot and trying to control the game to suit us, rather than relying on mistakes made by the opposition and counter attacks. It’s a big difference. Sometimes it seems like nothing is ever good enough for a certain portion of the Southampton fanbase, but he’s doing a good job so far, I’d say. It’s just a shame that Leeds are keeping pace with us, while Leicester and Ipswich look seemingly unstoppable up at the top. Any other season, I’d say we’d have a chance of automatic promotion.

Any January rumours? What needs doing?

SA: There’s some really good competition in our squad at the moment and I would want us to be careful not to ruin that. Che Adams could well depart after being linked away in the summer, but a lot of things revolve around Ross Stewart returning to full fitness and being able to give us a consistent source of goals to compliment Adam Armstrong.

Jake: No strong January rumours so far. There seems to be some murmurs that Che Adams could leave us after a rumoured late summer window transfer fell through. That wouldn’t be the end of the world, as he isn’t a regular starter these days and hasn’t been at his best this season. If Adams goes, I’d like to see him replaced like-for-like. We’re also due another winger after our promised replacement for Nathan Tella never materialised. Meanwhile, another left-back would be nice. Former QPR favourite (sarcasm) Ryan Manning isn’t very convincing and has cost us plenty of goals this season.

Martin: We still have some very good players. Kyle Walker-Peters is probably the outstanding player in the Championship right now, absolutely outstanding as either right back or left back and should be playing in the Premier League. He’s being linked with West Ham and there will be Premier League clubs looking but we need to keep him as he’s a key man. We bought Ross Stewart when he wasn’t fit and he’s had a set back with an injury after playing a couple of games from the bench. We need a striker, we play without a nine a lot of the time, we have a rotation between three or four players during the game. I think we need a nine and we’ve been linked with our ex-striker Danny Ings from West Ham. I’m not sure that’ll happen but we’ve been linked.

Ins >>> Shea Charles, 19, DM, Man City, £10m >>> Ross Stewart, 27, CF, Sunderland, £8m >>> Ryan Manning, 27, Mercenary, Swansea, Free >>> Joe Lumley, 28, GK, Boro, Free >>> Flynn Downes, 24, CM, West Ham, Loan >>> Taylor Harwood-Bellis, 21, CB, Man City, Loan >>> Mason Holgate, 26, CB, Everton, Loan >>> Ryan Fraser, 29, LW, Newcastle, Loan

Outs >>> Romeo Lavia, 19, CM, Chelsea, £50m >>> Tino Livramento, 20, RB, Newcastle, £30m >>> Lovely James Ward Prowse, 28, AM, West Ham, £30m >>> Nathan Tella, 24, RW, Leverkusen, £20m >>> Mohammed Salisu, 24, CB, Monaco, £10m >>> Moussa Djenepo, 25, LW, Standard Liege, £3m >>> Mislav Orsic, 30, LW, Trabzonspor, £2m >>> Mohamed Elyounoussi, 28, LW, Copenhagen, Free >>> Ibrahima Diallo, 24, DM, Al-Duhail (Kingdom of Executing all the Gays), Undisclosed >>> Dan Nlundulu, 24, CF, Bolton, Undisclosed >>> Mateusz Lis, 26, GK, Goztepe, Loan >>> Duje Caleta-Car, 26, CB, Lyon, Loan >>> Armel Bella Kotchap, 21, CB, PSV, Loan >>> Paul Onuachu, 29, CF, Trabzonspor, Loan >>> Romain Perraud, 25, LB, Nice, Loan >>> Lyanco, 26, CB, Al-Gharafa (Kingdom of Executing all the Gays), Loan >>> Matheusz Lis, 26, GK, Goztepe, Loan >>> Theo Walcott, 34, AM, Retired >> Willy Caballero, 41, GK, Retired

Stand out players this season?

SA: I think most Saints fans will agree when I say that it is simply glorious watching Stuart Armstrong and Kyle Walker-Peters play in the Championship. Walker-Peters would be my player of the season so far, but I must give an honourable mention to Flynn Downes for his control of midfield.

Jake: There’s a few that deserve a mention so far. Saints are a much better side when Flynn Downes is in it, while defensive trio Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Jan Bednarek, and Kyle Walker-Peters are all probably too good for this league. Adam Armstrong’s goals have been important for Saints, but I still feel he leaves a lot to be desired.

Martin: Kyle Walker-Peters I’ve spoken about already. He’s the ever-present, every minute and second of every Championship game. Adam Armstrong, prior to this season had not done a great deal for Southampton – four goals in 53 Premier League games, 12 in 22 this year with six assists. Flynn Downes has to be in there, he’s been brilliant, a mustard signing. Gavin Bazunu had a tough season last year but he’s improved and done really well in goal for us.

Weak links in the side?

SA: I think we’re probably still yet to see the very best of Ryan Manning, who seems to have some good bits and then some bad bits in games. His tussle for a starting place with James Bree is an interesting one, and Bree has been winning that recently I think.

Jake: I’ve mentioned Manning and left back, so I’ll go elsewhere. We suddenly seem really short in attacking options, both wingers and strikers, due to injury. We lost Tella in the summer, and he was meant to be directly replaced but that didn’t happen. And since then we’ve lost Kamaldeen Sulemana to injury, and if he’s fit again soon we’ll likely lose him to the African Cup of Nations. Ross Stewart moved to Southampton in the summer but he’s still struggling with injury, so really our only striker options are Adam Armstrong and Che Adams, the latter being someone who has also dealt with niggling injuries throughout the season so far.

Martin: Defensively we showed some frailties early on. The teams that would absorb pressure and get us on the counter found us vulnerable at the back. We look a lot more solid and not conceding goals like we did. Set plays we weren’t good at either and that’s improved. A little bit shaky defensively but improving all the time.

Revised expectations for the season?

SA: Believe I said that I would expect a finish in the playoffs for Saints earlier this season and I think I’d have to stick with that. I hope we’re too good to drop outside the top six and there’s a gap opening up now, and it’s also difficult to see Leicester or Ipswich dropping enough points for us to catch them up again. Hopefully we get a surprise in that regard though.

Jake: I didn’t think we’d win the league with Leicester in it at the start of the season. Unfortunately that came true. However, I thought we’d have a chance of sneaking second. I don’t think that will happen now, as Ipswich look consistently good and Leeds are on a similar trajectory to us. I think we’ll finish in the playoffs. I also think we’d bottle it in that scenario, but I would love to be proven wrong.

Martin: The ownership came out and said the aim was to go straight back and win the division. They clearly won’t win the division. I think they should back Russell in the January transfer window, we have a very good squad and we’re going under the radar slightly – we’re doing more than Leeds and Ipswich leak a lot of goals. My expectation is minimum play-offs but with the right January recruitment we should push for second. There’s only one automatic spot available in my opinion and it’ll be between Saints, Ipswich and Leeds. Southampton can do it, absolutely from what I’ve seen in the last few weeks. Against the better sides, West Brom, Ipswich, Leicester, we just need somebody who’s really direct up front. With that and a winger we’ll go very close.

Links >>> Southampton Official Website >>> Southampton Echo – Local Press >>> Ugly Inside – Forum >>> Saints Marching – Blog >>> Saints Analysis – Contributor’s Blog >>> Football Martin – Contributor’s YouTube Channel

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Pictures — Ian Randall Photography

The Twitter @loftforwords, @saints_analysis, @JJHughes, @FootballMartin_

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GroveR added 20:23 - Dec 21 Interesting views on Manning, and consistent with his time at QPR - the good bits to his game were when he had the ball and the bad bits were when he didn't. Plus ça change...
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TacticalR added 14:32 - Dec 23 Thanks to Saints Analysis, Jake and Martin. It sounds like Saints still have a good squad, and now they're on a run. It seems Russell Martin-ball is effective in the right circumstances with the right players.
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