Romain Perraud was a regular member of the Southampton squad last season and proved popular with the St Mary's faithful, but Russell Martin has shown that he has a different strategy for the club than they had last season.
The fact that we are now approaching something like £200 million in incoming transfer fees with the departure of Nathan Tella and Lyanco who looks set to join Al Gharafa in Quatar, suggests that relegation was more to do with the leadership of the team, than the quality in the squad.
Both Nathan Jones & Ruben Selles ultimately did not have the courage of their convictions and their answer to every setback was to change and change again, ultimately this led to uncertainty and relegation.
In the short time he has been at the club Russell Martin has shown that so far at least, he has a strategy and he is focused on it, he has belief in his players and he knows who will suit his style of play and who wont.
Some Saints supporters were up in arms about the news that Romain Perraud has left for the season to join OGC Nice in his native France, I am not going to dis the Frenchman here, but I am going to be pragmatic.
The 25 year old Perraud was not versatile, he was a left back in the traditional sense, he was not a wing back and although he could at times have a charge upfield, ultimately his style of play was not that he could do that up and down for 90 minutes.
Russell Martin could see this and he knew that Perraud was not his type of player, nothing personal, just business.
He also knew that in essence that although Perraud had played regularly last season, that was due to the long term injury to Tino Livramento, the previous season had mainly seen him as back up to Kyle Walker Peters who despite being right footed was switched to the left.
Indeed last summer Saints signed Juan Larios from Manchester City and he was seen as the heir apparent to the left back spot going forward.
Larios is the type of player that will fit Martin's style and as he gets his fitness back after his long term injury, he will be the natural back up to Ryan Manning.
So knowing that with having 3 left backs at the club, one will be surplus to requirements, Russell Martin is not afraid to talk to the players and make it clear where the land lies.
He does not see Perraud as fitting into the system, he knows whom he wants in and although that wont please some, especially those that seem to have taken against Ryan Manning almost from the first game of the season, the fact is Martin is following his own path and having had Manning under him last season at Swansea he is comfortable that he is the man for the job.
Indeed with two assists on Saturday against QPR, the first a sublime ball for Sam Edozie to run on to, Manning is starting to find his feet in the Southampton side.
So this has been the first test for Martin, of the players that have left so far most have been inevitable to leave or those that will not be missed too much, it could be said that Perraud is the first to leave that will divide the fans rightly or wrongly on whether he could have been kept and would have played a part.
Russell Martin though is the opinion that counts and he has shown in allowing Perraud to leave on loan that he has a clear path that he is following and that he knows just what he wants and needs to achieve it.