Southampton manager Russell Martin has blamed his side’s defeat to Millwall on Saturday on poor defending rather than tactical tweaks he made in preparation for the game.
The Saints suffered back-to-back Championship defeats for the first time since September thanks to goals from Japhet Tanganga and Zian Flemming. Che Adams did level the score in the 34th minute, but it wasn’t enough to prevent a defeat for the hosts.
Southampton had been flying high before losing to Bristol City at Ashton Gate two weeks ago, which ended a 25-game unbeaten run. The side have since won just once, seeing them drop to fourth place in the table, five points below the automatic promotion places.
👏 Japh's first ever professional goal!#Millwall pic.twitter.com/6410OkP50B
— Millwall FC (@MillwallFC) February 25, 2024
Martin slightly experimented with his system for this one, with Jack Stephens operating in a hybrid defender/midfielder role. At the same time, Kyle Walker-Peters shifted to left-back as opposed to his favoured position over on the right.
The head coach was keen to emphasise his shift in tactics was not to blame for the loss: [quotes via the Southern Daily Echo]:
“We had three massive chances and should score. It’s not normal to create that many big chances against a team in a low block. We should score but don’t. It’s nothing to do with tactics. If people want to talk about all that stuff, it’s not that. We conceded two rubbish goals.
“Wherever Jack is playing on the pitch at that point is not relevant as we’re all in a line defending. How we don’t deal with the free-kick, I don’t know. For the second goal, we don’t clear it twice and it ends up across our box for a penalty. That is the story of the game, nothing else – not tactics.”
The 38-year-old was more insistent on talking about the chances his team created to win the match:
“We have had four or five big chances and dominated the game completely. Millwall had nothing else apart from the set-pieces but we have given them something else to hang onto.
“Whatever shape you play, you can’t concede goals like that – it’s pathetic. This is what I felt today, the team needs Jack in it at the moment.”
Writer’s View
Martin was criticised earlier in the season for his tactics as he had a tricky start to life at St Mary’s, but he managed to more than turn things around going on that 25-match unbeaten run. It would therefore be foolish to discount the Saints at this stage but with Ipswich Town and Leeds United showing no signs of letting up, they need to turn their form around quickly if they wish to be celebrating automatic promotion in May.
Whether Southampton stick with the new system will remain to be seen but mistakes like the ones in this game can’t become regular occurrences that’s for sure. Tests don’t get much tougher than their next game as a visit to recently crowned Carabao Cup winners Liverpool is in order on Wednesday in the FA Cup fifth round.
