Jason Dodd shares 'worrying' thing he has noticed about Russell Martin at Southampton in 2024/25 so far

10/10/2024 12:45 PM

The pressure is on Russell Martin after Southampton recorded a poor start to the 2024/25 campaign.

The highs of May’s Championship Play-Off final win over Leeds United have swiftly dissipated, with the Saints currently sat 19th in the Premier League, having scored just four goals in seven outings so far.

15 goals have also been conceded in those seven games – only Wolves, who sit bottom, have shipped more with 21 concessions.

Jason Dodd knows what an effective Southampton side should look like – having captained the Saints while making 454 appearances for the club – and he has now shared why Russell Martin is “worrying” him this season.

Jason Dodd says Russell Martin is yet to find best Southampton XI

The 53-year-old believes the 38-year-old is yet to discover his best XI so far in the 2024/25 campaign.

Dodd told BBC Radio Solent: “The worrying thing is from my point of view, I’m still not so sure the manager really knows what his best XI is.

“In the Premier League you can’t be gifting goals to the opposition, because they’re that clinical and we’re under pressure again. It does worry me.”

Bizarrely, Martin is actually yet to name an unchanged XI in the Premier League this season, proving to be something of a tinker man at St Mary’s – while also switching up his systems regularly.

The man from Brighton has used a 5-4-1 formation, a 3-5-2 and a 4-2-3-1 shape as he attempts to stumble across a recipe for success, which really is “worrying” as Dodd claims.

Russell Martin needs to settle Southampton down

When a side is clearly struggling in the Premier League, one thing that can help them stay competitive – despite owning players who are far inferior to other clubs in terms of quality – is chemistry.

Relationships on the pitch can be key as players become familiar with each other, but this chemistry can only be bred by minutes on the field together, something Martin, who could be sacked if he fails to beat Leicester City, is not allowing his side to do.

Take Tony Pulis at Crystal Palace back in the 2012/13 campaign – for example – when many tipped the Eagles to go down.

However, the Welshman settled on an XI he felt worked best and stuck with it, allowing the likes of Julian Speroni to build chemistry with Scott Dann and Damien Delaney, while Cameron Jerome and Marouane Chamakh clicked to create an effective strike partnership.

Of course, it was not the most talented side the Premier League has ever seen, but each player knew their role and understood their teammates, which eventually saw Crystal Palace finish 11th.

Hopefully, Martin thinks long and hard about his best XI over the international break, and gives them a chance to gel once the Premier League gets back underway.