Southampton work on Russell Martin replacement after sack twist - Insider
Southampton have already begun assessing potential replacements for Russell Martin as he remains under threat of the sack after recent results.
This is according to former Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that no change is imminent, but plans are being put in place.
Football Insider revealed on 10 December that the club are keen not to jump into a rash decision over the manager's future and are set to keep the faith for now.
However, increasing pressure from sections of the fanbase who have turned on Martin, as well as fear about their league position, has pushed them to consider their options.
Southampton are currently bottom of the Premier League, having won just one of their 15 games so far while drawing two and losing 12.
Their constant defensive errors, which are quickly becoming a feature of Martin's side, have seen them ship 31 goals in that time - the second-worst in the division.
As a result, scrutiny and pressure is continuing to grow both on the manager and the board and a change may have to be made soon.
Brown explained that, should the Saints opt to make a change, they will look for a manager who can continue with their progressive style rather than changing their philosophy completely.
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Despite having retained the immediate backing of the club's hierarchy, Martin's position remains under intense scrutiny as the St Mary's atmosphere has begun to turn toxic.
Brown, who has worked closely with a number of managers at the top level, including the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, Ron Atkinson and David Moyes, insisted that once the fans turn, it could spell the end of his time at St Mary's.
"He's in a very precarious position there," he told Football Insider.
"Once the fans start to turn, the board start to feel the pressure and more often than not they make the decision, because they don't want the pressure on them.
"From what I'm told, they're already looking at potential replacements.
"I don't think it's formal, they haven't had any talks and they're not going to make an appointment imminently, but they're putting things in place just in case.
"If they do make a change, I wouldn't expect it to be a completely different style.
"They, rightly or wrongly, want to continue with the progressive football and building from the back.
"So whether they make the change will depend on the manager and the results they can pick up, but the club are planning for every eventuality."
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