Rohl with it
Southampton could turn to Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl to be Russell Martin's permanent successor, talkSPORT understands.
Saints sacked Martin after their 5-0 defeat at home to Tottenham on Sunday night.
The south coast club are bottom of the Premier League with five points from 16 games, nine points off safety.
Under-21s boss Simon Rusk will take interim charge while the search for a permanent manager goes on.
And German Rohl is a contender for the job having worked as an assistant to Ralph Hasenhuttl at St Mary's and talkSPORT understands Rohl has backers in the Southampton board.
Confirming the news of Martin's departure, Southampton said in a statement: "We can confirm that we have taken the difficult decision to part ways with our men’s first team manager, Russell Martin.
"Going into the start of the season, we all knew the challenges that we would face this year as we readjusted to life in the top flight, competing in the best and most competitive league in the world.
"However, the reality of our situation is clear. The board have supported Russell and his staff and been open and transparent regarding our expectations. We have all been on the same page in recognising the urgency of needing results to improve.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank Russell and his staff for all the hard work and dedication they have given the club on and off the pitch over the last 18 months. Everyone connected with Southampton FC will always have fantastic memories of last season, especially the play-off final win in May.
"Current Under-21s manager Simon Rusk will take charge of the team on an interim basis until we announce a permanent replacement.
"Behind the scenes, we are encouraged by the continued development of talent coming through our academy. We are proud of the contributions our young players are making and are confident this will remain a source of strength and pride for everyone associated with the club.
"We are also deeply grateful for the continued support and positivity shown by our fans.
"We are witnessing first-hand the significant gap between the Championship and the Premier League, but your understanding and passion, even when results have not been what we all want, continue to drive our long-term commitment to the club."
Firm message
It's clear to see what the Southampton fans want...
As the game came to a close, some fans whipped out a big banner that reads: 'R.M. GET OUT OF OUR CLUB!!'.
That, of course, is referencing Russell Martin.
Martin's side have picked up just five points from their first 16 Premier League matches this season (W1 D2 L13).
Only Sheffield United in 2020/21 have picked up fewer points at this stage of the campaign in top-flight history (two points).
It's fair to say that the Saints boss is on the brink at St. Mary's.
He spoke about the banner post-match and said: "It's definitely aimed at me, isn't it? Yes.
"I thought the fans were amazing in the second half. They've been brilliant from day one since we've been here.
"They've had nothing but messages of support and people want to bump into them. So, it is what it is."
'We played like under-15s'
Bernardo Silva has given a very honest assessment of Manchester City's defeat as their dismal run continued.
"We deserved what happened," Silva told Sky Sports. "At this level a game or two is unlucky.
"We can't say this is lucky or unlucky - 10 games it's not about that.
"Minute 87 in a derby, winning 1-0 and our corner ends in a penalty for them, if we make these stupid decisions with three or four minutes to go you deserve to pay for that.
"Looking at the game I think there was only one team that could win the game, but at the end we lost.
"It's not one game, it's a lot of games lately. We have to look at ourselves. You can say oh it's a bit unlucky, no. It's the decisions you make.
"Today in the last minute we played like under-15s."