There has been a lot of words typed on the internet about Russell Martin and his tactics, but is this just the reason as to why we are doing badly in the Premier League, last season there was a clear evidence that his player selection is not what it should be.
With the squad Southampton had last season in the Championship, we should have been promoted automatically and not through the play offs, or at least made a decent fist of challenging for the top two positions.
Most supporters would put the blame on the tactics, but in hindsight as we watch the manager struggle to find his best side and clutch at straws such as Paul Onuauchu, I would say that just as big an issue is that the manager just can't seem to be able to spot talent when it stares him in the face.
Of course the main evidence is that is his continued selection of Jack Stephens in the Premier League and his shoe horning into the side as happened last season, but the truth is it runs deeper than that.
One clear piece of evidence in that is the emergence of Shea Charles, at the beginning of last season Charles came into the side and looked a real find, yet he soon found himself out of favour and he started just 15 games in the Championship plus another 17 as sub.
In the summer he was allowed to join Sheffield Wednesday on loan, yes there were some valid reasons for that, it was about game time perhaps, but given the performances that Charles has put in for the Owls and the leadership qualities shown that has seen him captain the Northern Ireland team this week, why did Russell Martin not see these qualities himself and keep Charles rather than ship him out on loan.
Another case was the decision to send Sam Edozie out on loan to Anderlecht, what was the point in that unless you were going to upgrade and sadly so far this season Cornet has not even overtaken the number of Premier League appearances that Edozie made before leaving, both have appeared just twice.
Edozie has not found the consistency that his talent could achieve, some would point the finger at the player himself and of course there is some blame to be apportioned there, but I would say that the system is as much to blame.
There are more examples of those being allowed to leave both permanently and on loan, but it doesn't just stop there, in his team selections both last season and this, Martin has had a tendency to favour some players, ignore others and then chop and change all but his favourites.
This shows not only a lack of good judgement in terms of player selection, but also a lack of faith in his own judgement, on the surface for most of the time Martin appears calm & collected, but occasionally that veneer is stripped back and he has found himself being booked and suspended, very few managers actually get suspended for totting up 3 bookings in a season, that is far too many losses of control.
This is worrying, I have no problem with passion, but on this occasion it shows that Martin is frustrated, but he is getting frustrated because he is unable to get his team to win games, but that has often been down to his own team selections and substitutions and of course the tactics, he cannot see that he is part of the problem and not the solution.
He is unable and indeed unwilling to compromise his own tactics for the best of the team, questioning whether he actually accepts that our woes this season are anything to do with him is another worry.
So the fact that Shea Charles is flourishing at Sheffield Wednesday at the same level as he played under Martin last season, is perhaps clear evidence that Russell Martin is not only a sound judge of talent, but that he is unable to get the bet out of his players both individually and as a team.
He is putting square pegs in round holes, he is unable to adapt his system to fit the quality of players that he has to hand.
How quickly Shea Charles has gone from a bit part player at St Mary's to top notch performances at Hillsborough and an International Captain, is clear evidence that many of our squad are being supressed and not being allowed to flourish.
Southampton's chances of survival in the Premier League diminish week by week, something has to change, either Russell Martin has to adapt and change the way that his side apply his possession football game, or it is the manager that has to change.