“I hope to talk to you in two weeks. If not, we’ll see.”
Southampton manager Russell Martin was philosophical on Saturday after watching his team beaten by Gary O’Neil’s Wolves to leave the Saints bottom of the Premier League with nine defeats in 11 games.
The coach briefly responded to a question about his future after the match, which some had anticipated as a boss battle under pressure.
That record has put Martin in the spotlight for both his style and results this season, especially heading into the November international break.
“It will be what it will be. We work as hard as we can, we give all the care, love and commitment we can to the players. The rest is out of my control. I don’t worry or focus on it,” he added in his training session. post-match press at Molineux.
The experience of Rasmus Ankersen, co-founder and chief executive of Sport Republic, owners of the Saints, means he remains patient and strategic.
His time at Brentford as co-director of football (helping to oversee the Bees’ rise and promotion to the Premier League) has given him insights into how to build a sustainable model and a successful team.
The owners also remain visible at the Saints’ training ground in Staplewood, and rarely a week goes by without them being present.
That gives Martin support, for now, and potentially more time. Despite winning just one of their first 11 games, Southampton are neither drastically underperforming nor far behind where they were expected to be.
The preseason survival goal (finishing 17th) as well as shaping the team and generating value from it is still very much achievable.
This is recognized at St Mary’s and the challenges we face this season are understood.
That will become a factor in any long-term thinking, especially as the defeat in the Midlands on Saturday was not without frustration and controversy after Ryan Manning’s equalizer was ruled out. But Southampton failed to build on last weekend’s 1-0 win over Everton, their first Premier League win of the season.
