This won't go down well with Saints supporters, but according to various sources the Southampton hierarchy are not planning to sack Russell Martin just yet, but the big question is why !

Various media outlet including sportsmole.co.uk are claiming that the Southampton board are not yet ready to sack to sack Russell martin

They say that "the South Coast club are in "no rush" to part ways with Martin and would like to see how the team progresses over the festive period."

This as you can imagine will not go down well with the Saints supporters, but the real question that Southampton CEO Phil Parsons, his board and indeed Sport Republic, should be asked is just why they are willing to give Russell Martin more time.

It is clear to everyone bar Russell Martin and now it seems Phil Parsons hat is going wrong with Saints season, Russell Martin's 100% possession football game, where the ball is passed whether it is along our own goal line or wherever is not working.

IT is not working because Martin does not have the quality of player to play to this level, yet he still continues to persist with what is pure folly, he is keeping on doing the same things and every game see's yet more points dropped as goals are conceded due to errors caused by applying the game that he is insisting on.

So if Phil Parsons wants to persist with Russell Martin he should have a good reason why he is doing so, let us be blunt here he should need to see that things are going to change and the fact is that Russell Martin is not willing to adapt and compromise any of his possession football beliefs.

So if we keep Russell Martin and see how it goes over the festive period as is being suggested that is a total of 5 Premier League games ending with the home game against Brentford on 4th January, that will take Saints to having played 20 games, one over the half way point of the Premier League season.

So what will change in these next 5 games, will Russell Martin suddenly change his tactics ? he has shown no inclination to do so, so far, even playing effectively our 4th choice keeper as he is better with his feet than the 3rd choice keeper, when you think of it in this way, things are even more bizarre.

Will our players suddenly find that they can play this game after all and suddenly we are passing it around like Manchester City ? Probably not I would suggest.

Will the opposition suddenly stop working out that to beat Saints you just sit back a little and then press us quickly and see us pushed into mistakes, here I will not insult 9 year olds by suggesting that even they can see where Saints are going wrong this season, there are far younger fans who can spot this.

So why are we gambling that results will change, when absolutely nothing that has been the cause of these bad results is going to change.

We are going to just base keeping him on the basis that he has just been a little unlucky.

All joking aside though, even if we take an optimistic view point and we get 5 points from these 5 games, the same number we have so far, that will leave us having to get at least 22 points from the remaining 18 games to even stand a chance of staying up, that is a tall order whatever way you look at it.

There are those that may say that we are looking at the bigger picture in keeping Martin and looking at him as being the perfect manager for the Championship next season, there are those that will say this with a positive viewpoint and it seems that Phil Parsons and his camp fall into this bracket and there are those that will say it with a far more sarcastic take on the situation.

But if this is the route we are taking, just what is the point, in 20 months time assuming that we get promotion, we will just be in the same position we are now, Russell Martin about to repeat this season again.

So decisive action has to be taken now and I say this to Phil Parsons, tell us why you are keeping faith with Russell Martin, all we hear from St Mary's is silence, with every defeat you alienate the fanbase from the club, but I suspect that you cannot do this as you have no logical reason to keep faith with him, there are those that will attempt to ridicule you by saying that you do not have a background in football, that your background is in vacuum cleaning (Yes I know Dyson isn't a vacuum lol) what do you know about football ? but you played at a good non league level with Woking and so you know the game.

That being the said then why do you sit there in silence and say nothing ?

All Photos Via Reuters

DorsetIan added 10:07 - Dec 11 It's not rocket science. They're idiots who couldn't make a quick decision to save their lives.
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saintmark1976 added 10:32 - Dec 11 Nick, it’s my opinion that the reason Martin remains has nothing to do with football in general or our league position in particular. A more likely scenario is that perhaps Sports Republic, having wasted £millions in the last window simply don’t have ( or can’t borrow ) the money to sack Martin and hire a replacement ?
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1885_SFC added 10:32 - Dec 11 That's very apt - the Saints board keeping THE biggest turkey over the Christmas period.
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JoeEgg added 10:53 - Dec 11 "So what will change in these next 5 games, will Russell Martin suddenly change his tactics ?" Of course he wont change, and with one or two good players back in his side we could expect to earn or fluke a few points to encourage SR to believe that the Martin Miracle is underway.. Up to now the fan base has done nothing at the games to encourage SR to believe that all is not well. 3000 still attend away games and St Marys will always be full.. There is little or no sign of any protest except on the bulletin boards. Tottenham are our next opponents and have had a bad run of results recently so there's a fair chance that they will bounce back against us. However we will surely pick up a few points over the Christmas period and apparently the bulk of our fans will be satisfied with that. ; Nothing short of a massive and decisive demonstration against Martin. will prompt any action from the Board. It doesn't look as if any protests will be forthcoming to worry anhybody- so we deserve what we get - SR and Russell Martin.

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underweststand added 11:05 - Dec 11 This is a question being asked by every Prem. club and media critic - and why not?. Let's face it we have already created a new record for the worst season start of any Prem. club since 1992 and don't seem to be learning anything new from our successive defeats. Perhaps the fact that the players have been so indoctrinated into "Russball" that the thought of bringing in another coach would mean they would need to "unlearn" that formation and play the old fashioned way that requires them to run with the ball towards the oppositions goal - and take shots and even force the keeper into making saves. I used to like that. Back in the good old days. Rapid movement from one wing to the other, and attackers who weren't afraid to take on a defender, instead of passing the ball back to their CB, so as to avoid being tackled . Now I can safely leave the TV and go take a short toilet visit or put the kettle on for another cup of tea, safe in the knowledge that they hadn't completed the standard 50 passes before making a half-hearted attempt at getting into the final third. That's the problem when you employ managers who had careers as defenders; Puel, Pellegrino and now Russell Martin. They are obsessed with defending . A clean sheet is almost as valuable as a WIN to them. ( remember what they were?). Bring back Ronald Koeman - even for a season. He knew how to score goals and so did his teams. Right now we even have strikers who can't find their way over the halfway line. A return to the Championship might even be a blessing for everyone.

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stmichael added 11:07 - Dec 11 I’d ask why so many misguided fans are hell bent on harming the club by demanding constant changes of manager which has not and does not work. History shows that. The club have listened to the mob on too many occasions to the detriment of the club. As far back as Hoddle return , the sacking of Puel and you could argue to a lesser extent Ralph. They were strong enough to sign Lallana when the mob voiced their dissent again and it seems like they may be strong enough to keep faith with RM. Talk of Boycotts , large banners and mass Demonstrations against a man who got us promoted just a few months ago are an absolute embarrassment and show us for what we sadly our. A small time club in a big time league. In many ways supporters define a clubs status and ours certainly do that.

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kingolaf added 11:22 - Dec 11 They’re taking the fans for mugs. I was going to rest my season ticket on Sunday, but I’m definitely going now and can hopefully help convey to the manager and owners exactly what we think of them. Martin is actually worse than Branfoot. If we had a proper experienced football man on the board he would be toast. The muppets we’ve got seem to lap up his every phoney word.

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dirk_doone added 11:22 - Dec 11 Probably because Ankersen's too stubborn to admit he made a mistake, so we're all going to have to suffer for his pride. Remember Ankersen's motto: "EMBRACE FAILURE"
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Ripleys_revenge added 11:31 - Dec 11 The silence is indeed deafening. I think it reflects chaos and incompetence at boardroom level, rather than anything else. There is no grand plan, there is no strategy, there is no long term vision bla bla bla. Trying to attribute any sort of logic to the situation is a fruitless task. We are now owned by a bunch of reactive charlatans, throwing Solak's money around without a single clue about what they are doing. That has now become obvious after a sustained pattern over the last 3 years of conflicting 'strategies'. Just look at the managerial recruitment as one piece of evidence...Ralph--> Jones --> Selles --> Martin...zero consistency between those managers in terms of how they view the game, what their 'footballing ideologies' are. And let's not even get started on player recruitment. Absolute sham owners, such a sad state of affairs. And yes the silence now is just coming off as an insult to fans. Disheartened, disillusioned, disgusted at how my club is being run into the ground.

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JoeEgg added 11:34 - Dec 11 Sorry Stmichael but thats only part of our story. I dont remember too many fans demanding the removal of Poch or Koeman for example. Managers come and go and thats life - even the Chelsea's of this world play the same game. The only thing misguided at St Marys at the moment is Sports Republic and their choice of manager. If you honestly belief that we were promoted only BECAUSE of Martin's contribution then you are the one who is misguided. There are many clubs you call 'small time' that are doing far better than us. , You talk of embarrassment! How can you be anything other than embarrassed about our performance under the stobborn Martin this season? Bournemough and Brighton have already left us far behind as the pride of the south coast. , You will soon see us in the same league as a fast improving Portmouth side and we will sadly soon trail them too. So lets let it all happen the Stmichael way - do nothing and retreat to becoming a mid table Russell Martin Championship side with all our promising players leaving for better opportunities! Surely that wont be to the "detriment" of the Club?!!!!

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Bowlercow added 11:47 - Dec 11 Despite our views they are keeping RM I wonder if there is a master plan ?After all Solak is one of Europe's most successful business men except whe it comes to Saints according to many supporters As for various sources reporting this. Do you really believe that one of the owners has spoken to ANY journalist and been that frank about it You may not like the man You may not agree with the style of play but personal insults are not the way to express that One thing I guarantee is that whoever eventually replaces him will not pick the team that satisfies 100% of fans or make the substitutions when fans think he should I am not sure about this but I think Rasmus is a shareholder or part owner and not an employee Therefore he cannot be sacked

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Saintjonah68 added 13:03 - Dec 11 Rasmus Ankerson and Henrik Kraft need to be targeted by the fans,we need these two out of our club, let Dragan take sole control and get rid of these two clowns for good. However the fanbase are not vociferous, we are not a Leeds or Newcastle we have Zero vocal passion unlike in the 80's and 90's, now the fanbase are middle class sheep that follow blindly in the main.They have screwed up financially and can't afford to sack him and then get in a proper coach but they would cock that up even if they did. The club is dead we won't come back next time and the majority of fans will be happy with that!

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nysaint added 14:15 - Dec 11 Step back and it’s obvious; sports republic don’t have the money to sack him and are resigned to going down; at which point they realise 100m in transfers for Dibling Fernandes and Ramsdale. And then next year the whole promotion relegation cycle renews. They don’t care because they make the financial return from player sales. Buy unproven youngsters that they can make 2x on. It’s the saints fans that lose out.

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allsaint54 added 14:17 - Dec 11 If we're to stay in the PL we'll need to average 1.5 pts/game for the next 23 matches. No manager could manage that with the squad we have. So what half decent manager would join us knowing it's Championship next season. So, the only logic I can see is to keep RM until the end of the season saving some of the compensation, & then sack him. Use the next few months wisely to find a decent manager. That being the case we may as well try & sell those players who will leave in the summer, KWP, THB, Ramsdale, Dibbers & possibly Fernandez. Fees are higher in January & we won't be held to ransom in the summer. Plus I wouldn't spend a penny in January at inflated prices & let the new manager choose the players he wants. I know most people won't agree with this & no doubt SR can't think like this.

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Avior added 14:31 - Dec 11 The article on Football365 today is worth a read: https://www.football365.com/news/southampton-deluded-arrogance-relegation-opinio
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leighsaint added 15:00 - Dec 11 Good article well worth readind
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Colburn added 15:33 - Dec 11 Where is the benefit to his style? Lowest scorers in the league, most goals from mistakes ever and lowest points ever after 15 games. Parsons etc haven’t got a clue and just because you played non league football means nothing in running a Premier League club. Sadly our owners and board are clueless dreamers and we’re stuck with them because of the money they will make year after year selling our best players. Good business model maybe but terrible for sporting success. Is there anyone in the football world who agrees with our idiots in charge? No, just a few fans who live in the past where a magician like McMenemy took us down and back up signing top stars to help us. Those days are gone, can’t see Messi walking through the door out of the blue like Keegan. If the board moved now and brought in Moyes til the summer, we’d still have a chance of survival. Stick with the selfish bearded ideology nut job and we have a chance of beating Derby’s record, the players losing confidence and then not being at their best losing £10m each in value along the way.. I won’t be travelling to watch us away anymore under Martin, he’s just become an ignorant tosser who doesn’t care about the fans. The board are beginning to follow suit.

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bartley41 added 16:19 - Dec 11 The longer this goes on the gap will get greater and we are running out of games. No decent Manager will want to take over a sinking ship. Anyone with just a little knowledge of the game will know that a high possession of play does not win matches, it's shots on goal and goals that matter! Do the Board understand that?
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goalie66 added 16:41 - Dec 11 We are powerless to change anything except by protest. The best way is totally boycott games. Lets face it we will not miss anything as the football is so boring anyhow. If the TV cameras see rows and rows of empty seats the message might come across that there ALTERNATIVES that a customer can exercise with better entertainment value
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Cjay80 added 17:50 - Dec 11 It's just not working an you can see RM is feeling the pressure and has run out of ideas. Put us all out our misery and get rid. Bring in Potter or Rohl
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bryanK added 19:03 - Dec 11 Nick’s article really sums up the general mood. SR are gutless and based on their total silence my decision is now made not attending till he goes. He has the dressing room as he tells them week in week out how wonderful and brilliant they are. Surely they as players have some sense of the supporters feelings or maybe not? If I say nothing I will get picked week in week out. This is really tragic and could have been avoided if SR had been braver earlier in the season as RM could have moved on with some element of a reputation which is in my view in total tatters.No doubt his finances if paid off will enable him to move on whilst we suffer the aftermath God beam me up!!!

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beynali73 added 12:29 - Dec 12 Reading an article in the WSCs yesterday - apparently Colchester play the same possession multi pass game. Maybe if we were in that league we'd also be 18th with SR and RM :)
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ItchenNorth added 13:39 - Dec 12 At some point you have to stop sacking managers as the expense of paying contracts is astronomical. Fans seem to forget this. I'd be more concerned with our the deadwood players we've wasted millions on. Getting ride of one guy, the manager, is not always the solution. It's player recruiting that's crippling us. Martin is not without his flaws but I really think we just have too many players not good enough for this level. Save the money we'd lose sacking Martin. Sell in January as many deadwood players as we can and build again for The Championship.

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