Southampton have sacked manager Russell Martin following Sunday’s defeat by Tottenham Hotspur, which left them nine points adrift from safety at the bottom of the Premier League table.
The 38-year-old, who secured Southampton’s promotion to the Premier League last season, will depart after his side won just one of their opening 16 Premier League matches.
Martin’s final game in charge saw supporters at St Mary’s chant for his exit from the stands and also leave in significant numbers in a first-half that included four goals conceded in the first 25 minutes as they were beaten 5-0 by Spurs.
Under-21s manager Simon Rusk has been placed in interim charge.
A Southampton statement read: “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.”
Southampton have taken just five points this term with Sunday’s defeat a 13th of the campaign.
They had secured their maiden top-flight win of the season against Everton on November 2, before losing at Wolverhampton Wanderers before the most recent international break.
Since then there have been further losses at the hands of Liverpool, Chelsea and Aston Villa with Martin’s preferred style of play and frequent defensive errors again coming in for criticism.
Speaking after Sunday’s loss to Tottenham, Martin told TNT Sports: “We have no choice but to work and fight. It’s all I’ll I’ve done since I’ve been in this job and it’s all I’ll continue to do until I’m told otherwise.”
Asked if the booing affected him, Martin replied: “As a person, no. Because I understand it’s not personal. I don’t know them, they don’t know me. As a manager yeah of course it hurts me, it hurts the team, but I also understand it.”
His departure makes him the fourth Premier League manager to lose their job this season following Erik ten Hag’s sacking in October, Steve Cooper’s dismissal by Leicester City in November and Gary O’Neil’s departure from Wolves on Sunday.
Martin was appointed in June 2023 after leading Swansea City to two mid-table finishes in the Championship.
The former defender was tasked with guiding Southampton back to the top-flight and he did so at the first time of asking after defeating Leeds United in the 2024 Championship play-off final.
Before his time with Swansea, Martin managed Milton Keynes Dons, where he earned praise for implementing a possession-based style of play.
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The writing has been on the wall and it has felt like a matter of when, not if, the board decided to make a change.
With Southampton languishing at the bottom of the table, winning only one of their 16 Premier League matches this season, his position was untenable — especially with other clubs around them making managerial changes.
Martin was always going to stick with his style of play — possession-heavy and passing out from the back — and it is worth remembering that Sport Republic wanted this particular philosophy.
However, Southampton have been gifting teams victories weekly and something had to give. If they want to maintain their top-flight status, which is a tall order from their current predicament, then the only viable option was to sack Martin and hire a different head coach to see if they can extract more from the squad.
Southampton supporters will no doubt always remember the play-off final win at Wembley in May and Martin leading them on a run of 25 games without defeat — setting a club record in the process — last season, but the decision to part company with the former Swansea boss is one that will satisfy the fanbase.
(Dan Istitene/Getty Images)