Southampton manager Russell Martin accepts his side need to improve after a three-game losing streak to start the season but says he is not concerned by criticism of his approach.
Saints host Manchester United on Saturday lunchtime hoping to register a first Premier League point following promotion last season with defeats to Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and Brentford meaning Martin’s men sit second from bottom at this early stage.
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The former Swansea City and MK Dons boss has used the international break to analyse his team’s performances and remains confident they are on the right track.
He said: “I’ve enjoyed the learning, I think we have learnt a lot in the first few games.
“I feel like we are really close to being who we want to be and we need to improve on the first three games as we do after any game. I’ve enjoyed the break in terms of seeing what we really need to focus on.”
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Carry on regardless
Martin’s tactical approach, which involves his teams building from the goalkeeper through the lines, is not without risk and it has drawn comparisons with Burnley, who played in a similar style under Vincent Kompany as they suffered relegation last season.
Martin is undeterred, however, and is happy to shrug off any personal criticism, pointing to the fact he was in a similar position 12 months ago when Southampton conceded 16 goals in their first six Championship games and suffered heavy defeats to Sunderland and Leicester City.
He added: “It’s the job, I don’t enjoy it, [but] it’s not a problem. It doesn’t overwhelm me one bit.
“It was the same last season, we had a period at the start where we had a really tough time and then people can say what they want with very little recourse and will judge us based on a highlights reel of eight minutes, so I treat it all the same.
“Those same people who said things about us losing four games last season spoke about what a brilliant job I did at the end of the season.
“There were people that called me a terrible appointment for the club and said they need to make a change after losing four games. They will be the same people doing that now after three games, three defeats, so I treat it all the same.”
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I have been too loyal – Martin
Martin will make changes for the visit of United after admitting he had perhaps shown too much loyalty to the players that had earned promotion.
“After three defeats, there inevitably will be changes,” he said. “How many, you’ll have to wait and see and who. It’s such a difficult position because I feel fiercely loyal to the players who have got us into the Premier League so I have to balance that loyalty from what they did last season to what some of them are actually doing now and the place they are in right now.
“It’s always a balance and maybe I haven’t got that right and maybe out of loyalty we kept going with the guys. But I think now it is inevitable that changes will be made and people will have opportunities that they need to take.”
