The first solution to the problems for Southampton manager Russell Martin is clear, quite literally the word "Clear" all but one of the 5 goals conceded in the Premier League have been because of a failure to "Clear" the ball under pressure, but that is not his only problem.
Russell Martin has stated he will not change his football philosophy, I haven't got a problem with that, to be honest any manager who panders to criticism is a dead man walking, you employ a manager to do things his way, not to change them when the going gets tough, he has to live or die by the courage of his convictions.
But that doesn't mean that he has to change his philosophy and stop the possession football game, he just needs to fine tune it, that seems to be clear to most people, be they Southampton supporters or football pundits.
Most agree that he hasn't got the quality of players needed to play the possession football game to the level he seems to demand his players implement it.
First as mentioned, as was emphasised in the defeat at Brentford, his players seem to be under orders to keep passing the ball, even when the occasion does not merit it, it seems that our defenders are almost scared to clear the ball, it is if they feel they will be dropped if they do so.
When a team is playing badly, it is usually about going back to basics, about doing the simple things and that means that sometimes you have to put your foot through the ball.
I do feel some sympathy here, certainly at Newcastle, it wasn't the system that was to blame for the goal, it was the inability of the Goalkeeper to play a simple pass, which really should not have been a problem and the same could be said of one of the opening two goals at Brentford.
So here is the first "Clear" basic tweak that Russell Martin needs to make and that is to tell his defenders to clear the ball, give them the freedom to do so when necessary.
The second "Clear" thing that the manager has to change is his obsession with Jack Stephens, no one has a problem with Jack Stephens, most people know where he stands in the pecking order and appreciate that for most of his time at the club he has not really been the first choice central defender.
But now it seems that he is first choice not only in the centre of defence but at full back and in central midfield, in fact the manager has created a special role for him that is a hybrid of them all.
Reality is that man for man Jack should not be in the team, a year ago we lacked experience and that is why he was made Captain, now we have players in the squad who can provide that leadership.
After 13 1/2 years at the club Jack still has only started 129 games in the League, plus another 19 coming off the bench, that is not the stats of a stalwart first choice defender, but one of a great servant to the club.
Stephens is the brunt of much criticism on social media, but it is not entirely his fault, he doesn't pick the team and if it is not cleat to Russell Martin the changes that he needs to make in selection, then we have a problem.
I will not deny I have never really been a great admirer of Jack Stephens, but that is only about his abilities, I have great admiration of him as a loyal servant to this club, I want him to succeed, I do not question his loyalty or his commitment, he does not deserve some of outright abuse that he gets.
The manager has had an influx of players in the week or so before the transfer window ended, but he chose to leave most of them out at Brentford and play the same starting outfield XI that had let him down in the opening two League games.
The fans could clearly see what was going wrong, but not the manager.
So the clear issue of the next few weeks is going to see whether the manager is flexible and can make crucial changes that are needed, or whether he is stubborn as some Saints supporters have already claimed that he is.
I don't agree with that, at the end of last season he changed the way his side played when we went to Elland Road in the last game of the season and kept it for the 3 play off games, put bluntly it won us promotion, so he is not as blinkered as some would have you believe.
But the writing is on the wall, we have already dropped at least 2 points we should have won this season and that could be vital come judgement day at the end of the season, although I do not see Sport Republic having the knee jerk reaction some of the supporter base are having, there is a time that they will have to make a judgement call themselves.
Losing 3 games in a row will always ring alarm bells for those that run football club's, the only thing that isn't clear at the moment, is just how long Russell Martin has got to get it right.
I would suggest that the Manchester United game is not going to see him sacked if we lose that game, however it may well make the board decide what path they are on, if we then lost to Ipswich, I would think Russell Martin would be on very stony ground, defeat the following week at Bournemouth would almost certainly make his position untenable.
This is a difficult set of fixtures, but they are now crucial.
So what will we see from the manager, will we see him refuse to compromise and put his faith in his full on philosophy or will we see him adapt it as he did last season.
The next 3 weeks will give us the answer on that !