'Shocking' Russell Martin decision stuns

Southampton have begun their search for a new manager after they decided to part ways with Will Still following a dismal start to the season.

Still‘s side lost 2-0 to Preston North End last time out, meaning they have now won just two of their opening 13 games of the Championship season.

The Saints had initial hopes of bouncing straight back up into the Premier League, but have made an early managerial change to help revive their season.

In a shock twist, Russell Martin has emerged as a contender for Southampton as they plan to accelerate their efforts to replace Still over the coming weeks.

The former Saints boss was sacked after just four months with Rangers as he left the Glasgow outfit with just one win from eight games in the Scottish Premiership.

Russell Martin a surprise contender for Southampton

Football Insider revealed on 3 November that Martin is in contention to return to Southampton less than a year after the 39-year-old was sacked in December 2024.

Upon Martin’s dismissal, Southampton were at the bottom of the league with just one league win in 16 attempts, and it would be “shocking” to see him return.

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That is according to former Man United and Sunderland chief scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that while Martin may be considered, he will not be the first choice.

“I’m sure Russell Martin is one they will be considering,” he told Football Insider.

“The people that make these decisions are stranger than fiction at times, so nothing that happens in football surprises me any more, to be honest.

“But having gone through the torrid time they went through in the Premier League, you’d have to question what the thought process is with bringing him back.

“He’s not somebody who is inclined to change his methods or adapt his style when things go wrong.

“He went to Rangers and insisted they do things his way, and that ended in disaster.

“For Southampton to now take him back, it would be a shocking decision.

“As I say, nothing surprises me any more, but I’m sure they will have a number of candidates interested in that job, many of whom will be above Martin on their list.

“I can’t see him making a return to Southampton, no.”

While the boss appears to have maintained some favour amongst the Southampton board for achieving promotion from the Championship, the cons must outweigh the pros.

Has Martin learned from his previous mistakes at Southampton?

Just under a year since his dismissal at St Mary’s, there had been suggestions that the boss may have learned from the errors of his ways as he took over at Rangers.

However, Martin proved hugely unpopular with the Rangers fans during his time in Glasgow, with protests held in the weeks leading up to his dismissal.

A refusal to adapt his style of play and falling out with a number of big-name players including Nicolas Raskin led to an all-too-familiar feeling under his rule.

Martin was doomed from minute one at Rangers, as after his first league game in charge, he slammed his players and insisted there were too many shallow egos in his squad.

During his time in Glasgow, Martin endured his worst managerial spell to date, winning just five matches with a win percentage of 29 per cent.

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