Southampton

Image source, Getty Images

Adam Lallana believes Southampton's first Premier League win of the season "is around the corner", stressing the need to support the young group of players at St Mary's Stadium.

The 36-year-old "loved" making his first start for the club in 10 years in Southampton's Carabao Cup success at Everton on Tuesday, admitting he "didn't want to come off," after 45 minutes but appreciates the need to build his fitness.

"I feel so fearless with nothing to lose," he said. "I just feel we need to be calm. We're good players - there's been a lot of anxiety and tension around.

"We've got a young group so it's important we get support them, like at the weekend they were fragile in that moment. I know I can help a lot with my experience and it's a big reason why I'm here.

"The win will be around the corner - I'm convinced."

Lallana also referred to himself as "the daddy of the group" and that he has a sense of responsibility he cannot shy away from, even though he joked he was "quietly relieved" to not have to take a penalty against Everton.

"If I was on the pitch, I would've taken a pen, not that I like taking them," he said. "I feel responsible and you cannot shy away from that."

The Saints face Ipswich on Saturday, another team who are yet to pick up a victory in the league this season and Speaking to BBC Radio Solent, Lallana said: "It's a big game - a lot of our players will think that.

"There have been positives [but] there's lots of areas we need to improve on. There's been bits of naivety - [being] new to the league, to the level.

"We know we need to 'man up' as a whole and take responsibility. It's not Russell [Martin]. It's us as individuals."

Image source, Getty Images

Jo Tessem believes all that mattered from Southampton's Carabao Cup tie at Everton was "coming out with a positive outcome."

The Saints won 6-5 on penalties after the game finished 1-1, with Alex McCarthy saving Ashley Young's spotkick to send Southampton through to the fourth round.

Speaking on BBC Radio Solent's Goin' Home With Adam and Jo podcast, former Saint Jo Tessem said: "I would've taken anything with the situation we are in. I would've taken a poor football game and a 1-0 win.

"I would take anything that feels positive against another Premier League side - that's all we came here for. We got it, winning in penalties and all the players composed themselves very well."

Defender Armel Bella-Kotchap and striker Paul Onuachu, were both left out of the squad and host Adam Blackmore believes this shows "they are waiting for their move in January."

Tessem agreed: "Yes, of course, that's the situation. They're not on the pitch - they're not included. That means, January comes - you go."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Image source, PA Media

We asked for your thoughts after Tuesday's Carabao Cup game between Everton and Southampton.

Here are some of your comments:

Everton fans

Mike: Another dismal performance from Everton. Why does Sean Dyche persist with reliance on breakaways? Why take off your centre-forward to bring on Ashley Young when you are not defending a lead? No shape or substance and it made Southampton look like the home side. Dyche must go!

Gerard: How low can we go? It's the sheer certainty that we are going to play awful, non-league style football against every team we come up against... and then lose. All hope is gone.

Michael: We had 25% possession at home in one of the only realistic competitions we could win... I really don't know what the plan is? For me, it's time for someone else to take charge and get back to playing football and restore some confidence. It's Dyche's tactics so, for me, time is up.

Ed: Speechless. It just gets worse. I genuinely think Dyche wants the sack. The substitution of Young for Beto is ludicrous and then the inevitable - Young missed the penalty! Why not bring Jordan Pickford on for the penalties? How do we give Southampton 75% possession at home? The club is a total mess. Maybe the worst run club ever. But Dyche has to go - David Moyes in.

Southampton fans

Ross: Moving the ball was brilliant to watch and it looked like we had so much fight. The mistakes need to stop but everyone makes them. Tyler Dibling was absolutely class when he came on.

Ian: Poor overall. We need to stop playing out from the back every time. Let the forwards find a little space and play a long ball at times. Might not come off but keeps opponent guessing and makes us less predictable. Need to do something or we're likely to lose Dibling to a big side. Need to use the pace of the front players to get in behind.

Isaac: A win is a win, but a turgid performance that has left me no hope for the rest of the season. If I was an Everton fan, I would be feeling the same.

Darren: Again, we had the ball and we were facing our own goal many times. Better teams will take advantage of this. Yes, our talent shows when pressing, but as soon as we are on the back foot, we look like a League One team. Even when we are trying to create the perfect shot, we need to start taking chances more if we want to stay in the league. On to Ipswich now.

The latest episode of BBC Radio Solent's Goin' Home With Adam And Jo has arrived, discussing Southampton's penalty shootout success at Everton and the positive effects it may have on the squad before Saturday's game against Ipswich.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Russel Martin spoke to BBC Radio Solent after Southampton's Carabao Cup victory over Everton: "I saw so much character, spirit, fight and togetherness and the game looked how we wanted it to look, apart from a few moments where we wanted a bit more attacking intent.

"I was really pleased with a lot of the performances and the way we reacted to conceding. I'm delighted for the players - they were brave and aggressive.

"I'm so excited about what's to come. We just need that first win [in the Premier League] and everyone will relax a bit. I've got no doubt they will continue to grow.

On Paul Onuachu and Armel Bella-Kotchap's absences from the squad: "I have to balance the short, medium and long-term plans for the club and who fits the style of play the best. Tonight it's these guys - on Saturday [against Ipswich] it will be someone different. The door isn't shut for anyone. I have to make decisions based off what I think is best for the team and club.

"I like them both. They train hard but I was really honest with them before the transfer window closed and I've been honest with them since it closed."

Listen to the full interview with Martin here

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Everton’s performance, external

What did you make of Southampton’s display?, external

Come back to this page on Wednesday to find a selection of your replies

Follow reaction and read the match report

Image source, Getty Images

Six Premier League teams are in Carabao Cup third-round action on Tuesday:

• Brentford v Leyton Orient - 19: 45

• Everton v Southampton - 19:45

• Preston v Fulham - 19:45

• QPR v Crystal Palace - 19:45

• Manchester United v Barnsley - 20:00 (listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra)

All kick-off times BST

Follow all the action live

We asked for your views on who you want to see in Southampton's attack going forward.

Here are some of your comments:

Nick: Give Paul Onuachu a go. He has scored loads of goals everywhere else he has played. We have wingers galore but we need a centre-forward. The solution is right here, staring us in the face.

Daz: Russell Martin should swap Fernandes and Lallana's positions and play them up front and play traditional 4-4-2. Or, if he decides to play three up front, then he should keep Archer with them. Lallana has got the experience which the other two could bounce off and hopefully learn a thing or two.

Mike: We have no Premier League-class strikers in our squad, even after spending £100m, so that is unacceptable. Diaz is woeful. Armstrong is a good Championship striker but not at this level. Archer same as Armstrong and all 5ft 6 - so no height, no aerial threat and no-one to hold the ball. Shocking frontline, especially after spending that money.

Glenn: We don't have a clinical finisher. We play tippy tappy in the opposition penalty area and don't try to shoot. We were shouting shoot at St Mary's and our forwards and midfielders didn't have a scooby. Same problem in our own penalty area - playing tippy tappy with no idea of how to defend and get rid if appropriate! Play Dibling more often!

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton manager Russell Martin has challenged Adam Armstrong to earn a recall to his league lineup, after the striker was "annoyed" to not play in the Saints' loss to Manchester United.

Armstrong, who scored 24 goals last season as the Saints secured their return to the top flight, was one of four men left out of Saturday's starting line-up - Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Joe Aribo and the injured Will Smallbone were the others - as Martin looked to end the club's search for a first point of the new campaign at the fourth attempt.

The 27-year-old could return to face Everton at Goodison Park on Tuesday night (19:45 BST) and Martin is expecting a response. He said: "Armo's annoyed he's not playing, and rightly so after everything he's done for us. But as a manager, you have to make calls and it was the hardest bit of the week this week. I didn't enjoy it.

"Taking four players out of the team that I love and that have been so good for us is the most difficult thing because genuinely I have a lot of love for them and respect and care for them and to take them out is not easy.

"Now they have to put themselves back in and Tuesday will give them a brilliant opportunity."

In the circumstances, the third round tie might not be the greatest priority for either side involved but Martin does not see it that way. He said: "It's the most important thing now. There will be changes, there'll be players who need to stake a claim for their place in the team because we haven't won, albeit there's so many positives.

"Then there'll be some players who need to build on Saturday and grow again and try to improve on their performance and learn again in our way of doing things."

Ross Stewart, who returned on Saturday after the injury problems which sidelined him for much of last season, is unlikely to start but will be involved at some stage. But, defender Jack Stephens is unavailable following his red card on Saturday.

BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions.

Aldar asked: Russell Martin is receiving a lot of stick for "lack of pragmatism". We heard this song all last season about Vincent Kompany at Burnley. Well, he’s at Bayern Munich now, only one of the biggest clubs in the world, so worked out for him just fine. Why shouldn’t a young coach stick to principles that have won him success in the past no matter the cost, develop players in a more progressive system, and get himself on a shortlist for a top job in management? It's not like ‘pragmatism’ is a magic guarantee of safety and success. Or is it?

Phil replied: It is a real double-edged sword. Martin has a style and set of principles that he is determined to stick to and I thought Southampton looked very good until Cameron Archer missed the penalty against Manchester United.

I don’t happen to think Martin will change his approach, which is admirable, but if you are constantly losing this cannot be an enjoyable experience for him, his players or Southampton’s fans. So I believe an element of pragmatism has to come in - unless results come of course - if Saints want to stay in the Premier League.

Kompany did the same last season, refusing to budge on style, and it was a thoroughly miserable season for them. The players who played in such a fashion to stroll to the Championship were not good enough to pull it off in the Premier League.

As I said, I thought Southampton looked really good for 35 minutes on Saturday and Martin will believe if they play like that against teams in and around them, and in the middle of the table, they will get results.

I honestly believe the Kompany appointment was a bit freakish because Bayern Munich messed up their search for a new manager, even trying to persuade Thomas Tuchel to stay after announcing he was leaving.

It’s a great job for Kompany and there will be no excuses for failure.

Image source, Getty Images

On the latest episode of the Goin' Home With Adam And Jo podcast, BBc Radio Solent sports editor Adam Blackmore spoke about Southampton's frontline: "I'm just wondering how we're going to get more goals out of this team. We've tried something different in this game with the 4-3-3 and they definitely created more openings and got deeper in the pitch.

"You've got a lot of forwards, some who aren't even involved. The thing we have to find is consistency in selection. Within the next few games, you need to know the best team. We need to find the combination that scores enough goals to keep Saints in the division.

"I'm looking at it and I'm not sure who is the best to play on the left, or the best to play down the middle. I'm pretty sure Tyler Dibling is going to become the best to play on the right. Where are the goals coming from and what is the best front three in a 4-3-3?

"Ben Brereton Diaz needs to show more. Cameron Archer needs to bounce back. Does Adam Armstrong need to come back in?

"There's too many questions and not enough answers."

Saints fans, who do you want to see in Southampton's attack going forward?

Let us know your thoughts here, external

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton captain Jack Stephens has been charged with misconduct by the FA following his red card in Saturday's 3-0 home defeat to Manchester United.

Stephens is alleged to have used abusive and/or insulting words toward referee Stuart Atwell and fourth official Gavin Ward after he was dismissed for a tackle on Alejandro Garnacho in the 79th minute.

Southampton have until Thursday, 19 September to respond to the charge.

Ray Hunt
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

St. Mary’s took on a morose atmosphere as Saints slumped to four straight defeats to kick-start life in the Premier League. The result leaves Russell Martin still searching for that elusive first top-flight win.

The latest was a humbling 3-0 by a resurgent Manchester United, with a missed penalty and captain Jack Stephens shown his marching orders prematurely to compound the misery. It left Saints 19th in the table by virtue of goal difference.

Fans were calling for a change in personnel and with the formation to which Martin obliged but the outcome remained the same. Which leads to more worrying concerns that this squad isn’t ready for the Premier League.

Even though the latest defeat cannot be blamed at the feet of the manager, you can’t help but feel the next two fixtures could prove crucial for Martin. They host a must-win encounter with last season’s promotion rivals Ipswich. That fixture is already taking on the feel of a relegation six-pointer, which seems absurd in the middle of September. They then hit the road for the short trip to Bournemouth to see out the month.

Before the serious stuff, Everton await in a Carabao Cup tie on Tuesday night, but that will be treated with levity.

If Martin ends September without a point, then it’s hard to see where the points will come from.

It’s worth noting that the struggles are parallel with those from our last promotion to the top-flight in 2012-13. We then lost the first four games. Games that included shipping three against Manchester United at St. Mary’s but also a 6-1 thumping at the Emirates to Arsenal. Things turned around swiftly and we finished 14th, but it’s only natural for those panic buttons to be hit.

How many points will we end September with?

Find more from Ray Hunt at the In that Number podcast, external

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton right-back Yukinari Sugawara believes the Saints should have "killed the game" when they were awarded a penalty against Manchester United.

Speaking to BBC Radio Solent after the defeat, the Japan international said: "For sure, the Premier League is the best top league in the world. It is one of the most difficult leagues to win a single game in - I really feel that.

"We almost dominated the game in the first half against Manchester United but then we lost two easy goals to set pieces. That was unacceptable and that was our fault.

"We played brilliantly in the first half - we dominated the game and controlled the attack and defence - so I felt really good.

"But you need to score to win a game. You would never win if you just kept the ball, because nothing happens. We need to make more clear chances or do something to scare their playing style.

"In this game, I needed to do more. I showed some good stuff but nothing happened [from it].

"If I could make sure that [Cameron] Archer scored then the team would have been different. If we had scored first then I think we could have controlled the game more. It could have been 1-0, 2-0 or 3-0 because we felt really good in the first half.

"But, when we feel good, we have to kill the game. That was our mistake, I think."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Former Southampton striker Jo Tessem believes Cameron Archer didn't look "comfortable" when he stepped up to take the Saints' 33rd-minute penalty against Manchester United at St Mary's.

Speaking about the forward stepping up to take his first penalty for the club and missing from the spot Tessem told BBC Radio Solent's Goin' Home with Adam & Jo podcast: "My view, as a professional player, is that you should get your most comfortable player to take the penalty.

"I used to take penalties and I was quite comfortable taking them - I liked it. But, when you have a very young and inexperienced team, there probably aren't that many players that have taken a penalty there and so you just have to choose someone.

"I would say if Ben Brereton Diaz has taken seven out of seven penalties and scored them, isn't that a calculating factor that you consider as a manager?

"You have got to have the confidence to step up and do it, but Archer didn't look confident. I know it is easy to say it afterwards, but he didn't look comfortable. His run up was strange and he had to wait a long time.

"It looked like he tried to look at which way the goalkeeper was going and then lost focus and dropped his eyes down on the ball. When you do that, the goalkeeper has the advantage.

"So, for me, that is why it looked a little bit silly. It always looks silly when you miss, but he did it in a way where he just didn't look comfortable in the job of taking the penalty."

Listen to the full post-match podcast on BBC Sounds

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Leicester were close to a win against Crystal Palace and Ipswich have had a really tough start, but this is the second-worst start a promoted trio have made to a Premier League season in terms of points, with only last season worse.

This is also the fourth time in the last five seasons that the promoted sides have failed to reach double figures between them.

That only happened six times in the previous 26 seasons where three sides were promoted.

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Southampton and Manchester United.

Here are some of your comments:

Southampton fans

Malc: Same old Southampton - good start then fade away. They fail to take advantage of good passages of play. The lack of goals will be our downfall as the defence isn’t good enough.

Daz: Russell Martin is kidding himself with what he says. If you lose four straight games in the Premier League it's an uphill struggle. I'm afraid Saints will be relegated. The style of football Martin plays is not suited for the Premier League - certainly the formation he plays. I'm sorry but it's not looking good for Saints.

Cliff: We had some great positives in the first half - Dibling's performance being the standout. Lots of possession and two or three great chances, but the game turned on the penalty, and not investing in proven Premier league quality has again been our undoing. Based on the teams we have played so far. I just can't see were we will pick up points.

Manchester United fans

Danyal: We played much better after the 35 minutes of the first half. The penalty save by Onana gave everyone a boost - and it's amazing to see De Ligt getting his first goal and Rashford also being on the scoresheet. We need consistency now as the next couple of weeks are so important as we are playing in three different competitions.

Nick: Good to get a win. However, with all that talent they are boring and pedestrian a lot of the time. At the end of the season, goal difference might count and if they upped the tempo in these sort of games they might be in a stronger position. They could possibly have scored four or five.

Philip: Very, very poor at the beginning. They can’t allow weak opposition to have the upper hand for the first 30 minutes. 0-3 was flattering. I didn’t feel United imposed their superiority in the second half. Must dominate and push for more goals. Against better opponents they will fall behind if they don’t exit the traps much quicker.

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

The game between Manchester United and Southampton was pretty even before the penalty, with four shots each and Saints enjoying more of the ball.

However, after Andre Onana saved Cameron Archer's spot-kick and then the follow-up header in the 33rd minute, Southampton did not have a shot.

The away side had 16 shots without reply and dominated the ball from then on.

Gary Linker brings you highlights and analysis from Saturday's eight Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Liverpool 0-1 Nottingham Forest

• Aston Villa 3-2 Everton

Dan George
BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton manager Russell Martin reinforced the message that his side have to "keep believing" despite their poor start to the Premier League season.

Martin's side have lost all four of their opening league games, their most recent a 0-3 defeat to Manchester United at St Mary's on Saturday.

"We’re just four games in and the lads have had some great moments already in those games." Martin said.

"From those moments the lads will feel that we can really impact the league in a good way and not just survive.

"Having people like Adam Lallana and Aaron Ramsdale in the dressing room and how they can enforce that message is really important, we have to keep believing and learn through the pain."

Saints picked up three wins and a draw in their opening four games in the Championship last season before going on to lose four in a row.

The Saints boss said that he feels more satisfied now than he did at this stage around those consecutive defeats last campaign.

"It’s no different to last year," Martin added.

"Yes the level of competition has gone up but I’d argue we have had as many moments now as we did this stage last season.

"I’m actually much happier with the level of performance than I was this stage last season. We just need to stick with it."

Southampton will next travel to Everton in the EFL Cup third round before a home match against Ipswich Town and travelling away to Bournemouth.