Russell Martin doesn’t hold back in a rant on Southampton’s performance against Bournemouth, with his side losing 3-1 on Monday night.
The Saints boss expressed significant disappointment and frustration at his side’s lack of fight, aggression, courage, and spirit, especially in the first half of the game.
He highlighted that regardless of the team’s playing style or personnel, not showing these qualities makes it “impossible if you’re not going to fight” to gain points in the Premier League.
Martin took personal responsibility for the team’s mentality, suggesting that he hasn’t instilled enough resilience or character, traits he values highly given his own career path.
He said that while Southampton improved in the second half, but could only get a consolation goal and the damage was already done by then.
The result extended Southampton’s winless run in the Premier League to six games, with just the one point they picked up.
😢 “I’m so HURT by the first-half performance.”
😬 “I didn’t recognise our team.”Russell Martin isn’t holding back on Southampton’s performance against Bournemouth 😨 pic.twitter.com/Qe0UkDKw9E
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 30, 2024
“When a manager says they didn’t recognise their team, that will hurt them.” 🤕@Carra23 reflects on Russell Martin’s post-match interview on Southampton’s performance against Bournemouth 😬 pic.twitter.com/RVPEif8MYJ
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 30, 2024
Southampton boss Russell Martin told Sky Sports: “We started really well and had two really good moments in the game. We showed the guys how Bournemouth like to play quick free-kicks and run, we switch off and concede.
“Exactly how we did against Manchester United a couple of weeks ago, we don’t respond to a setback very well.
“I’m so hurt by the first-half performance after the first goal. I didn’t recognise our team. I’m usually proud of them for the courage they show but there was no aggression and no courage, no intensity to play.
“Looking around I saw self-preservation mode on the pitch.
“I didn’t recognise the body language. I didn’t like that one bit. In the second half, they showed lots of fight and courage which was too late.
“I’m really hurt and disappointed by the first half. It’s on me and I have to give them some tools to respond to the setback better than we did.
“We obviously haven’t learned from the setback at the Manchester United game which is a problem.
“We were soft, so forget style of play. If you don’t want to run, fight and make contact, take things personally, we didn’t come out with the ball at all in the first half, then it’s going to be a problem.
“I have to question myself. I thought I had made enough of a deal about the way they approached the game and how good they are at certain things but it obviously wasn’t enough as we looked under-prepared for that which considering the work we did is crazy.
“I will never come out here and blame the group of players as we are together. I was hurt by the lack of spirit and fight, and I’ve told them that. There’s nothing that I haven’t already said in the dressing room.
“But I am the leader so it’s my problem to sort out.
“I couldn’t identify my team in the first half in terms of attitude and spirit and fight. I got this far in my career not based on talent but on mentality.
“I obviously haven’t passed that enough on to the players tonight. I thought we would be fine after the first setback and we weren’t , so that is my problem to sort out.
“I told them at half time to show that they could actually run and fight for us, for the staff and for the supporters who I thought were great.
“I feel sorry for them after the first half and at least they did that, which took courage. I thank them for that but I shouldn’t really be thanking my team for running and fighting.
“It’s really clear what we have to do and what the focus has to be, especially with the game we have coming up at the weekend.
“It’s really clear for me the people who have to play. Joe Aribo when he came on was outstanding, Ross Stewart wanted the ball, was brave and wanted to fight.
“We need a team on the pitch that we know is going to fight for everything, regardless of talent and style.
“We had a tough time last season and a lot of those characters are in that dressing room.
“Maybe they need to be back on the pitch.”
Martin speaking to Premier League Productions: “There was a lack of fight, lack of spirit, lack of courage, lack of intensity, lack of aggression – it was just unrecognisable for us. The response to a setback was so poor. It’s really hurt me, the first-half performance.
“It’s only on me, I obviously didn’t prepare them well enough. Once you get over the emotion of the night and the hurt from the first half, you’ve got to learn from it.
“Now we have a choice to make – we either feel sorry for ourselves or we respond properly and work even harder to get better. That is a choice – and I trust we have enough characters in there and good guys in there to make the right choice.”
“I’m buzzing with it.” ⚡
Antoine Semenyo reflects on Bournemouth’s 3-1 win over Southampton at the Vitality Stadium 🔴 pic.twitter.com/CGG3MmTCJN
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 30, 2024
Bournemouth coach Tommy Elphick speaking to Premier League Productions:
“It was a game we built up to be quite big beforehand, we’ve put in quite a few performances this season and not got the points we’ve deserved so far, so I think the first half was definitely a representation of what we’ve been doing in spells.
“The tide turned a little bit in the second half, but Southampton are a good team and a tricky team.
“I thought it was a real squad effort.”
On Evanilson: “He’s a very different number nine to what we had last season. He plays in between centre-backs, he’s very cute with his timing of runs, and I’m really pleased for him. He’s been working really hard.”
Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, speaking to Sky Sports: “We have had two previous games here and we felt like we played well, but we didn’t get the three points.”
On the first goal: “We watched a couple of videos in the meetings in the week and we knew we could catch them out with quick free-kicks.
“Buzzing for Evanilson – he is going be a problem this year.”
On his goal: “It felt wonderful. I wanted to create space and get a shot away.
“It rifled in the bottom corner, a great finish.”
On his journey to the Premier League: “It has been so important. All those loans and tough moments – it has been part of my joruney. Here I am loving the game and playing in the best league in the world.
“I’m grateful.”
On what Bournemouth can achieve: “The sky is the limit. We have such a good team and everyone is great. We just want to work hard and win games. We are going to cause a few problems this year.”
Bournemouth’s Marcus Tavernier, speaking to Sky Sports: “Something we have been working on this week is getting the ball in play as quick as possible.
“We knew if we got the press right we would create chances. That’s what we did in the first half.
“Massive [three points]. Coming back from two losses it was a big game for us today especially with it being a derby.”
Social media users gave their thought as Russell Martin doesn’t hold back in a post-match rant on Southampton’s performance against Bournemouth…
@CorkyMorris: That’s his team. Only Bednarek & maybe Dibbling were not signed by him. He chose to start without a striker, that’s not the players fault. How many goals this season in the PL from midfielders or forwards? One is it? Own it Russell. That was embarrassing.
@AndersBSvensson: Brave this, Brave that to his players, but he seems to be the biggest coward going. Time for a change.
@KirkPayneSFC: Playing wee man and getting the crowd up for it before the game even kicked off was almost as bad a decision as having 5 strikers on the bench and none on the pitch
@nicksfc73: Well he picks what players start. So that is down to him. Then they have to show up, and understand how he wants us to play. Sorry 1st 45 as a team we looked like a team with no idea, not the 1st time. A game we had to get something from . 💩 can’t see us staying up.
@tod1877: thrown his players under the bus🤔 not a good look tbh
@buh_danny: He’s ‘hurt’ every week. 🤣 give me a McKenna interview every day of the week over this little bitch #itfc #saintsfc
@Gary_SaintsFC: Tough to disagree with what he’s saying. Sounds like a defeated man. #SaintsFC
@bsdg74: Line up could have been better but nothing warranted that performance. Feel for Martin as he looked so defeated he is really is trying but not getting the response from the players. Hoping he can change it cuz he is a great guy and would be a great manager with better players
@johnnysmithsfc: 😂😂😂 Really!!! Didn’t recognise his team that do this bloody week in & week out – Come on Russell!
@ltfc_rhys: great interview from him just straight up honesty, exactly how it should be
@c10vis: When the manager starts pointing fingers at the players like that, it’s the beginning of the end. Not necessarily for the act of blaming, but for what else it reveals about the manager’s ability to convey ideas, a critical skill in righting the ship
@lewyitfc: For Christmas I’d like a bottle of Russell Martin’s tears…
@KingsyAVFC: Or maybe you have no plan B and that won’t cut it in the Prem…
@martinsross1: All this guy does is slag off his team. 🤷🏻♂️
@Too_Jazzee: I can’t understand how, at 3-1 down with most of the ball for the last 15 mins we have no shots. Every time we get near their box it’s back to the CBs. Absolute joke. Awful performance from some, the worst though from Martin. Terrible tactics and selection and so stubborn
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