Former Southampton ace Andrew Surman insists Russell Martin will need time but thinks the Swansea City manager can prove himself to be a ‘really good appointment’ at St Mary’s.
There will be teething problems. There will be mistakes. Don’t be surprised to see Southampton get themselves in a a muddle trying to build up from the back and gift the opposition a goal or two during the first few weeks of next season.
But once Russell Martin imparts his possession-based principles on this Saints squad, you can expect to see a style of football replicated by few others in England’s second tier.
“He was really good,” Surman, the former Southampton midfielder who worked with Martin at MK Dons back in 2020/21, tells BBC Radio Solent. “He just said; ‘I want you to get on the ball and make as many passes as possible’.
“It’s well documented you look at his possession stats at Swansea and MK Dons. You’re literally going to get 70 per cent possession.
“I don’t want to compare him to someone like Pep Guardiola. But he built something at some point and was basing it on possession. What you will find if Martin is appointed is total possession. Whether they can turn that into wins is a different story.”
Russell Martin still likely to take over at Southampton
Only champions Burnley bettered Swansea’s 64 per cent possession average in 2022/23.
Swansea also finished just three points adrift of the play-off places; Martin coming within touching distance of the top six despite being forced to contend with off-field distractions and the departures of several key players.
“He’s come out in the press at Swansea and said you’ll have to be patient with me because it can be a point where you have a lot of the ball and the fans feel ‘where are we going with this?’,” Surman adds.
“In the long run, I think it’s a really good thing.
“He will give the players a lot of confidence and show a lot of belief in them. With the way he wants to play, they will need a lot of belief and confidence. They will have a lot of the ball on the edge of their own box and it will be a little bit risky.
“He’s going to need time. And, the problem is, you don’t get time nowadays. I’m excited about it if he does get the job but like I say, he will need time and patience.
“I think it’s a really good appointment.”
37-year-old Martin was also on the radar of recently-relegated Leicester City but remains the clear favourite to take over from Ruben Selles at Southampton instead.
Wales Online say that the former Norwich City and Rangers defender has already ‘agreed’ to take over at St Mary’s. The ongoing delay, meanwhile, is down to a ‘dispute over compensation’.
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