No one can be happy with four defeats in a row, but this is football and the rot has to stop somewhere and for Russell Martin is is extremely important that it stops at home to Leeds United on Saturday.
There have basically been two reactions to the run of defeats that Russell Martin's Southampton team have suffered over the last few weeks, some have decided that this is proof that his possession football game is not working and is never going to work, whilst others are prepared to give him more time.
Perhaps I am generalising here but that seems to be the situation as it stands at the moment, I should also clarify that although there are plenty condemning him, there does not appear to be many Saints fans who back him unequivocally to succeed, it is just two schools of thought.
Four defeats in a row is not a good run of form and no one is denying that, but it does not mean that it is going to be terminal for the season.
In 1979/80 Saints finished 8th as they prepared for the arrival of Kevin Keegan, yet at the end of November 1979 they had lost 8 of the 17 League games played, they had a run of 7 League games with just a single win in the middle in the 5th game of that run.
Chris Nicholl didn't lose 4 in a row in his first season as manager, but in his first 15 League games he managed just two wins and ended this run of games with a 7-0 defeat at Luton Town.
When Alan Ball arrived as manager, he won his first game with a last minute Matt Le Tissier goal at Newcastle, he won two out of the next three, but then he lost 4 of the next 7, failing to win any of them, but no one blamed the change of playing style he imposed which was basically give it to Le God.
Alan Pardew didn't start too well and nor did Nigel Adkins in his first season in the Premier League or for that matter his successor Mauricio Pochettino.
These are just the good ones, history is littered with Southampton managers who have not actually set the world alight either at the start of their Saints careers or at some point in the middle.
But those that succeeded owe their success to the fact that the Southampton board stuck with them, even when in the case of most of them the fans were calling for their blood.
This of course doesn't mean that they had done enough for the fans to back them, but whether the supporters liked it or not they were given time and did well.
But at some point in that time, they had to show that they were turning things around, they had to show those employing them they were moving forward and they had to show the fans.
This is the first of those moments on Saturday for Russell Martin when his side takes on Leeds United.
Those saying give Martin times will point to the fact that although there have been two utterly unacceptable defeats, the last two games have seen progress in both of them.
This Saturday there has to be more progress not just in terms of performance, but in halting the run of defeats, a point would go a long way, a win much much further.
As I have said elsewhere, Russell Martin in essence has only had this squad together since the start of September due to the transfers in and out during August, he has not had much time to work with his squad.
There are excuses for the poor form, but it is not for him to make those excuses, that only riles up sections of the support even more, he has to show he has a calm head and can get his side playing the way he wants and more importantly winning games of football.
Although I personally feel that we can't just make it 3 managers in a row sacked after barely a dozen games, I do also accept there is a cut off point where a line has to be drawn.
That cut off date is not this Saturday, in fact that cut off date should not be named at all, it should be fluid, if Russell Martin beats Leeds and then wins the next three games, that will silence some of his critics, but ultimately does that mean that he is now a good manager.
I would say no, but it buys him time to show that he is getting things right and he has to keep winning games.
In essence that is why Chris Nicholl & Nigel Adkins are still popular with Saints supporters.
So Saturday for Russell Martin is about buying time, halt the defeats and he will live to fight another day, losing perhaps won't lead to his sacking, but it will bring much ranting in the fan base and it will make the Saints board jumpy.
They will already be making contingency plans, they will review "what if" situations and what they might do.
From Russell Martin's perspective if he doesn't start winning he is vulnerable, I have always said if you are sacking a manager then you have to have a replacement lined up and that replacement needs to be an upgrade.
In my opinion names like Neil Warnock are short term options, they win you a few games and then end up getting sacked and they do not improve things long term.
Martin may stay in a job longer than the board might like, but should for example someone like Graham Potter should become interested, then the board might jump at the chance.
So the Leeds United game is simple, win it and Martin stops the trigger fingers getting itchy, lose it and this club starts to fragment, definitely in the fan base and perhaps even in the dressing room.
I hope that Russell Martin succeeds at Southampton FC as that means we as a club are succeeding and that we have continuity, for me it is not personal, towards the manager, it is just business, do the job and show you deserve to be in it.