Southampton Already Have Their Target To Replace Russell Martin

Southampton Already Have Their Target To Replace Russell Martin.

Russell Martin will put his job at St. Mary’s in jeopardy if he loses today’s game against Ipswich Town, which is the

biggest test of his managerial career. Not many managers can win a season despite losing their first five games.

All of last season’s accomplishments mean nothing to Russell Martin as he prepares for his fifth Premier League

match of the year. He has to keep Saints in the top flight after he has led them back there, and he hasn’t started the

season well with criticisms levelled at him regarding tactics, team selection, and favouritism.

But if reports are to be believed, the board at Southampton already has a shortlist of names that they would be

looking at, should they need to replace Martin, This is in itself not a surprise, after all, most clubs will have such lists

should a manager depart.

However, Saints fans won’t be overly excited about the name at the top of the list—John Eustace of Blackburn

Rovers, according to footballinsider247.

It’s claimed that the Saints board is worried about the strategies employed as well as the result, especially passing the

ball around at the back in every situation. This strategy has resulted in a number of errors this season, and almost

every goal conceded has been the result of players being spotted in possession of the ball or passing it under pressure.

Eustace may not be a household name, but the Southampton administration seems impressed by his credentials.

He played in 47 Premier League games for Coventry City when he first started his playing career. He would only play

in the top division once more after that, and that was when he was on loan at Middlesbrough. Nonetheless, he

participated in multiple matches for Stoke, Watford,

His managing career started with Kidderminster Harriers in 2016 and he had a term at QPR as assistant manager

and also as caretaker, when he maintained them in the championship in the final 7 games of the season.

During that time he was also an assistant for the Republic of Ireland, before joining Birmingham City as manager in

July 2022 and in his first season, he guided the Blues to their highest points total for 7 years.

But that was insignificant. After a strong start to the season, Birmingham was in sixth place and appeared to be in

the running for promotion in October 2023. However, Eustace was fired and Wayne Rooney took his place.

Eustace joined Blackburn in February 2024 and his work there, losing just 6 games of the 24 he has presided over,

including 3 wins and 2 draws out of 5 games this season that see them in 3rd place going into this weekend, has led

to Southampton considering him as a replacement should Russell Martin lose another game or two.

Some will not see this as a great replacement, there will be calls for David Moyes or even Graham Potter, experienced

Premier League manager, I have to say I think they will have a point, after all, Eustace has only managed less than

100 games as a League manager and his last experience even as a player in the Premier League was over 20 years ago. He may be an up-and-coming manager, but does he have the experience necessary for the fight we are now in ?

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