Before the Championship run-in, Russell Martin, the manager of the SAINTS, still has one major issue.
It’s not that they have to play 10 games in 36 days—though that’s not ideal either—because there may be a lot of momentum.
He doesn’t mind scoring goals because the Saints have a front three of exceptional talent and experience, and they average more than two goals every game.
Additionally, there is depth throughout the field, with two players in practically every position who have proven to be dependable.
The problem is that he is unsure of what his best defense should entail, which could require benching the team captain.
Martin has changed the way the club is assembled to fit Jack Stephens in the starting lineup because he does not want to do that in the last month.
When questioned recently about why he has experimented with what was a solid back four, Martin responded, “It is about getting certain players in.”
He earlier stated, “This team needs Jack in it right now,” following the 2-1 home loss to Millwall.
I feel forced to start by saying that Stephens has performed admirably in each of the games he has started.
He plays out of the back and drives into midfield in a John Stones-esque fashion, demonstrating the bravery Martin is looking for.
When I watch Stephens, I can’t help but wonder whether Martin views him as the kind of defender he wants he could be.
The boss frequently remarks that he never got to play this manner, but he qualifies this by saying that he probably wouldn’t have been good enough in the first place.
A few days after Martin’s arrival, the players decided to pick Stephens as the new club captain, demonstrating Stephens’ leadership qualities.
“My half-time team talk was made loads easier by what he said to the players in the dressing room before I got in there,” said Martin.
That came following the tumultuous 4-3 victory over Birmingham City in the previous match, where Saints trailed 2-1 at halftime.
All that being said, Stephens is just not as good a defender as Taylor Harwood-Bellis or Jan Bednarek.
It’s not really a knock because he has made 170 appearances for the Saints and would start for practically any Championship team.
However, in their natural positions, the England under-21 captain and the Polish international are two of the greatest in the entire division.
In the nine games this season where Stephens has played sixty minutes or more, the Saints have given up 0.92 anticipated goals against per game.
In the games in which he has not participated, the figure increases to 1.06, signifying a spike in the quantity and caliber of opportunities given up.
The fact that Stephens did not play a minute in the games against Hull City and Bristol City may possibly have an impact on Martin.
These are the recent losses, where the manager probably feels that a bolder set of men defeated his team and that his team has diminished.
This does not account for Flynn Downes’s absence, which resulted in the back four that did start having less protection.
Martin may use the same defensive four and midfield six that mainly saw the team go 25 games without a loss now that the West Ham loanee is back.
Naturally, the issue of why alter a successful strategy is understandable. The impact of Downes being absent from those games is cumulative.
After the international break, at least one significant decision pertaining to Middlesbrough’s visit will be made.
Martin will have the option to choose three players from Stephens, Bednarek, Harwood-Bellis, and Ryan Manning if Kyle Walker-Peters is fit.
Though it’s expected that one of Manning and Stephens will be cut, the outcome may provide clarification for the altercation.
After 70 minutes of play against Sunderland, Martin did substitute James Bree, a more conventional right-back, for his captain.
Martin’s life may be made easier by Bednarek because he faces a two-match suspension if he receives a booking against Middlesbrough.
In the event that the 27-year-old avoids receiving his tenth yellow card during that match, 15 bookings will be required to receive a ban.
There’s an old saying attributed to Sir Alex Ferguson that says defense wins championships and offense wins games.
The two teams with the finest defensive records in the Championship right now are Leeds United and Southampton; the former have given up 19 fewer goals than the latter.
In their past four games, Martin’s team has allowed an unsustainable nine goals; this must stop.
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