Star Player Heaps Praise On Southampton Boss Ahead Of Crucial Game

Ahead of this evening’s crucial Championship clash at St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton winger Kyle Walker-Peters has spoken out about his time at the club this season. In doing so heaped praise on boss Russell Martin.

Martin was given the reigns at the Saints and has taken the south coast side to within striking distance of a return to the Premier League. The 38-year-old gaffer plays an attractive style of football, and this has helped Walker-Peters express himself in the side.

Tonight sees playoff-chasing Preston North End visit a Southampton side with ambitions of automatic promotion. However, they are very much on the outside looking in as they sit seven points off of Leicester City in second place, before playing their game in hand over them.

https://twitter.com/SouthamptonFC/status/1780127484756783448

Walker-Peters has been a mainstay in the side this campaign, and with his manager being a potential target for some Premier League clubs, he is aware that only promotion could stave off anyone wishing to gain the signature of Martin.

At the recent EFL Awards, the only Saints player to be named in the Championship Team of the Season was the winger and speaking at the ceremony, and reported by Southampton News he put the recognition down to how Martin had set the team up.

“I love it, he’s a really, really intelligent coach. He has clear ideas and he gives you the confidence to put those ideas on the pitch.”

Any team relegated from the top flight will want an instant return, as getting out of the Championship becomes harder the longer you stay in it. Too many quality sides drop into, or indeed climb up from lower divisions to make it one of the most challenging leagues to gain promotion from.

This adds extra pressure to managers and players, but with just a handful of games left, Martin will look to players like Walker-Peters to push them on, and put pressure on those above them, at a time when they seem to be falling over themselves in their promotion bid.

Writer’s View

Kyle Walker-Peters has no doubt impressed this season and could be a key to any end-of-season success the Saints have. However, it is Russell Martin that comes under the spotlight, and like any boss aiming for promotion it is where, and how, they end up come the end of the season that matters.

Southampton have their work cut out if they are to make up ground to the top two places, but this could favour them as they will have nothing to lose. The playoffs still beckon as a second chance. Should Martin reach the promised land, then he could well have options open up in the summer.

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