x

Graham Potter Lined Up For Southampton Job

According to the latest reports, Russell Martin is on thin ground and should he lose at Bournemouth then it could be a new man in the dug out for the trip to Arsenal and that man is Graham Potter.

givemesport.com have reported that Saints are on the verge of replacing Russell Martin.

They say that with Everton having beaten Crystal Palace on Saturday and jumping above Southampton in the table, this has changed the outlook of the board and that should Saints lose to Bournemouth then they will make a change within hours.

They claim that talks may well have already taken place and if that is the case you would feel that it is only a matter of time before a change is made.

If Ipswich were to lose to Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon, that would perhaps also drive another nail into Martin's future at the club.

But a victory over Bournemouth would lift Saints out of the bottom 4 and also bring the Cherries into the relegation dog fight.

If any of those making the decisions at St Mary's were watching Wolves defeat to Liverpool on Saturday evening they would have heard Gary Neville's scathing attack on Wolves possession football game, if we thought that we were poor and didn't have the personnel to play possession football, then Wolves were appalling and this will have made the Southampton hierarchy jumpy.

Wolves were lucky in that Liverpool missed a few chances, but on another day it could have been different.

So this is an important week for Russell Martin, he may get a stay of execution on Monday evening, but then he will face one of the top 3 teams in the country, who may not be as accommodating as the teams we have met so far.

Some will say it is harsh on Russell Martin to be talking about sacking him after only 5 games, after all he did get us promoted last season, but that happened because he was forced to water down his tactics, the hope was that he would learn a lesson or two, but that has not been the case so far this season, although there were some hopeful signs in the game against Ipswich.

But the issue here is that he is trying to play these tactics with players that are not good enough to do so at this level, he is not adapting his tactics to the abilities of his squad, he is resolutely imposing his way or no way and sadly I think that the Southampton hierarchy have seen that and may feel that they have to make a change sooner than later.

So on Monday night at the Vitality Stadium, Russell Martin does not just have to win the game, he has to show that he has adapted his tactics to fit the situation and that he will do so at the Emirates on Saturday.

No one is asking him to abandon his principles, just to "adapt" but is he capable of doing that ? That is the big question, good managers who survive in the Premier League, know that they can't take on the likes of Manchester City and play them at their own game.

This is not just with possession football, it has been the case for as long as football has been played and the worry for Southampton whether it is the board or the supporters is that Russell Martin is just too stubborn to change.

This will be the thinking in the St Mary's boardroom, can they see Russell Martin changing and if not can they see his tactics winning enough games to keep us up, that is the big big question.

So will Graham Potter who had a short period at the club as a player in 1996/97 and played only a handful of games, but one of those games was the 6-3 defeat at the Dell of the then invincible Manchester United in the October of that season.

Potter was a 70th minute substitute, coming on as Saints defended a slender 3-2 lead with Egil Ostenstad & Eyal Berkovic orchestrating a 3 goal salvo in the final 7 minutes with Paul Scholes also scoring for the visitors in the explosive finish.

Graham Potter would be a popular choice with Southampton supporters, but that is mainly based on his 3 years at Brighton where he steered them from being relegation candidates to the top 10, but during that time he trod a fine line with Brighton supporters who were critical at times of his tactics and his time at Chelsea showed that he did not have the nous to manage a top side,

He has now been out of the game for 18 months and is believed to have turned down several managerial posts including Leicester City in the summer.

This will be an interesting week for Southampton Football Club and one that may well shape the rest of the season.

What to read next:

Yorkshire Media Claim That Sheffield Wednesday Battling To Keep Danny Rohl
Usually the local media have their finger on the pulse of their clubs and if that is the case, then Yorkshire media are convinced that Southampton are pursuing Danny Rohl and that the Owls are struggling to keep their man.
A New Name In The Hat For Southampton Managerial Vacancy
Their is a new candidate to replace Russell Martin after his sacking as Saints boss on Monday evening, reports from Italy are saying he has joined Danny Rohl and Kasper Hjulmand at the top of the list.
Southampton In Negotiations With Club For Manager Release
According to media sources, Saints are in ongoing talks with the club of their top target to replace Russell Martin, but will this please the Southampton supporters who are desperate for a high profile appointment.
Southampton Need To Unite The Supporters With Next Manager Appointment
It is hard to believe that only 7 months ago Southampton fans were dancing with joy at Wembley in the play off finals and describing the day as one of the best in their Saints supporting lives, the feeling could not be more different in the fan base today.
Southampton Linked With Ex Danish National Team Manager
Danny Rohl was the early favourite to replace Russell Martin, but it is rumoured that Saints are balking at paying the compensation wanted by Sheffield Wednesday, however they are said to be interested in another target.
The First Bookies Favourite Has Emerged For Southampton Manager
Russell Martin probably hasn't finished clearing out his locker at Staplewood but the bookies have already compiled their books and a clear favourite has emerged, but will it be the one that the fans want.
Who Is Southampton Caretaker Manager Simon Rusk
after the sacking of Russell Martin, Saints announced that U21 coach Simon Rusk would take over on an interim basis, here we take a look at who Simon Rusk is and his experience.
Southampton 0 - 5 Tottenham Hotspur - Player Ratings and Reports
If you saw the match, please give us your player ratings and a mini match report.
Southampton V Tottenham Hotspur The Verdict
The straw that finally broke the camel's back, for most Saints supporters the worst 45 minutes they have ever endured at St Mary's when the team finally stuck two fingers up at their manager.
Southampton FC Sack Russell Martin
After what was perhaps the worst 45 minutes in Southampton FC history, at least at St Mary's, the Saints hierarchy took swift action in the aftermath of the debacle and sacked Russell Martin.