Russell Martin faces a tough challenge at Southampton. This recent loss just confirmed it. If the Saints’ manager still has support from fans, his team’s failure to learn from mistakes is starting to cause problems. It’s definitely affecting his attitude towards them.
“Regardless of how you play, if you lack the fight and aggression, you have a big problem,” he said. A disastrous opening 45 minutes left Southampton with too much to recover from. “I didn’t recognize my team’s attitude, spirit, and fight in the first half.”
Bournemouth Strong Start
The second-bottom Saints can find safety in numbers. This was the last opportunity for the newly promoted teams to win in the first six Premier League rounds. Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth had only won once in their last nine matches. Although they struggled a bit in the second half and their opponents briefly applied pressure, Bournemouth always looked like the better team.
They were pressing triumphed over possession between two principled managers. Prior to the start of the game, Martin approached the visiting fans with open arms to acknowledge them. He also spoke to them after the game. Despite feeling personally embarrassed, he was warmly received. Iraola, who was serving a suspension, had to watch the team’s first home win from the stands, which propelled his team above Manchester United.
Southampton Defensive Struggles
Southampton has a vulnerability when it comes to possession and lacks attention after losing the ball. Bournemouth’s first goal followed this pattern. Charlie Taylor kicked the ball upfield from left-back and it reached Antoine Semenyo. When Flynn Downes fouled the winger, Marcus Tavernier quickly took a free kick and found Evanilson. After five goalless matches, including a missed penalty against Chelsea, the Brazilian didn’t make a mistake this time. His £40m fee saw its first installment. “We knew that if we pressed correctly, we would create chances,” said Tavernier.
“We demonstrated to the team how Bournemouth prefers to take quick free-kicks, but we lost focus,” Martin lamented, his head bowed in clear post-match frustration. “We were not assertive enough. If you don’t run, fight, make contact, and take things personally, then it’s going to be a problem.”
Bournemouth Dominance Continues
Against Bournemouth, it’s not a good idea to lose possession by coughing up the ball. As the first half progressed, they controlled the game according to their preferences. In the second half, Semenyo quickly stopped, and Dango Ouattara deflected Lewis Cook’s shot, sending it past Aaron Ramsdale. The defender was ball-watching, which allowed the goalscorer to stay onside.
Semenyo skillfully bypassed Taylor for the second goal. He then outmanoeuvred Lesley Ugochukwu and scored a low shot past Ramsdale for the third goal. Despite Martin’s continued encouragement from the bench, his team’s morale had dropped. “The anxiety takes over again,” said Martin. “I hate how they enter into self-preservation mode.”
Strange Team Selection Raises Questions
Bournemouth had four shots on target out of five attempts, and they took advantage of a strange team selection from the opposing team, which showed a lack of confidence in their attacking players. Southampton had five strikers on the bench, which seemed unusually cautious, especially because they had 18-year-old Tyler Dibling playing as a false 9. Martin, the coach, said, “I will never blame a group of players, we’re together, but I didn’t like what I saw.” Tommy Elphick, Iraola’s assistant, who was handling media duties, described the first half as “electric.”
Southampton Changes Offer Hope
Ryan Fraser, a former fan favourite who has refused to get vaccinated against Covid, was booed every time he touched the ball. The crowd was delighted when he was substituted at halftime. Southampton brought on forwards Ben Brereton Díaz and Ross Stewart, and midfielder Joe Aribo to inject some energy into the game. Could a comeback be in the cards? Taylor Harwood-Bellis’s diving header provided some hope. Manager Martin and his assistants, their voices now strained, studied diagrams in search of solutions.
Bournemouth Holds On
Once Iraola substituted the energetic Justin Kluivert, the gathering momentum decreased. Elphick remarked, “We managed to successfully navigate through that time period.” Southampton’s experienced player, Adam Lallana, was given 20 minutes to rescue the outcome. He quickly unleashed a shot wide, but most of the opportunities were beginning to favour Bournemouth.
Southampton Challenges Ahead
Although Southampton’s manager identified aggression as the most lacking quality, the team needs to do much more for the upcoming challenges.
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