– Dominate possession, creating chances with brave build up play. – Attacking full-backs push high with the DM dropping between the CBs. – 4141 that moves into a back 3 in possession. Russell Martin – Playing out from the back #SaintsFC It could be said though that with better backing, which Southampton should be able to offer, Martin could be a smart appointment. Swansea has yet to achieve better than 10th in the Championship so there is tons of reasonable apprehension around a move for Martin. Piroe in particular has faired well, having scored 19 goals this season and 22 in the previous one. Players that have shined under Martin at Swansea are notably Joel Piroe, Matt Grimes and Ryan Manning. Tottenham Hotspur shortlists the next Ten Hag to fill the void.Martin’s MK Dons played the same way and during his time at the club, they had some of the best possession stats in Europe during his tenure.

There is often a large sequence of passes leading up to their goals scored. Under Martin, Swansea does a lot of building up from the back and taking their time working the ball into the final third. On the flip side, only 4 Championship clubs conceded more than Swansea, including all 3 relegated sides. Swansea had the 4th joint most goals scored in the Championship this season, despite the 10th-place finish for the Welsh side.

Russell Martin’s biggest strength is that he is able to get his team to score goals. According to The Athletic, Southampton has yet to make a formal approach but the feeling from within the club is that Russell Martin will join. Russell Martin was originally expected to travel to the US and meet with Swansea to discuss a new contract. As broken by The Athletic, Southampton is set to make Russell Martin the club’s next manager, ahead of next season.

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