Southampton

As transfer deadline day looms, what do Southampton need to do before it's too late? Or are you happy with where things are up to?

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The draw for the third round of the Carabao Cup will take place on Wednesday at the conclusion of the second-round tie between Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United.

The seven English clubs involved in European competitions this season, including holders Liverpool, will enter at the third-round stage.

Ties will take place on weeks commencing 16 and 23 September.

Because there are rounds of Champions League and Europa League fixtures also scheduled for those two midweeks, the six clubs involved in those competitions - Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester United - will be kept apart to ensure they can fulfil their Carabao Cup tie in the alternate midweek to their European fixture.

Those six clubs will take part in a pre-draw before Forest v Newcastle to decide if they will be at home or away in the third round, with a main draw determining the 16 ties later in the evening.

Should Chelsea progress to the next phase of the Conference League, they will not be in action in that competition again until the start of October.

West Brom have rejected Southampton's bid of about £10m for 21-year-old winger Tom Fellows. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

Want more transfer news? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Southampton boss Russell Martin has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Carabao Cup second-round tie at Championship side Cardiff City (kick-off 19:45 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Martin confirmed that Adam Lallana is back in the squad, while Ross Stewart and Kamaldeen Sulemana have returned to training. The Saints are now "close to having a full clean bill of health".

• After his post-match comments on Saturday about Southampton not having the same quality in attack as Nottingham Forest, Martin said: "[It was] not a slight on our players or our club. Forest is in a different place to us."

• He added: "If you look at what they have spent on Anthony Elanga, [Callum] Hudson-Odoi, Morgan Gibbs-White, it is a lot of money. We're just in different places. It is up to us to stay in the league long enough that we can then be in a place to do the same thing. We have to do it differently."

• On rumours of former Saints midfielder James Ward-Prowse, now at West Ham, being for sale: "Prowsey is one of many players in the Premier League who could do a job for us. Does that mean he will come? We have a lot of midfield players so it is not a position we are trying to recruit in - so I don't know [if we would try to sign him]."

• After two defeats in the league to begin the season, Martin said that "every game is as big as the play-off final and we need to approach it in that way, but I am confident we will".

• Martin confirmed there will be changes for the game against Cardiff: "It is an opportunity for players to play in our way, to be the team we want to be against good opponents. Any opportunity you have to play you can’t take for granted. I want to win. I want to beat Cardiff."

• On new signing Lesley Ugochukwu, who will start the game: "He needs to be the guy, needs to be the king in the middle of the pitch. He needs to dominate it is as much as he can as that are of the pitch is a big responsibility for us. I'm sure there will be brilliant bits and some we need to work on and learn from, but it will be great for him to feel that and be on the pitch."

• On getting transfers right: "We have done good business. Not just for now, but for the short and long-term future of the club. A couple of years ago it was about spending money for here and now to stay in the league. This time we haven't done that. That has been agreed by us. We're not just going to go all in for one season and put the club in a difficult position further down the line."

Follow the rest of Tuesday's football news

Ray Hunt
Fan writer

Russell Martin’s possession-based approach has come under the microscope again as Southampton fell to two defeats from two, despite having the league’s highest possession average (70.5%). But still we remain goalless.

What’s more concerning is the lack of chances created, and the repeated turnovers, particularly in the most recent outing at home to Nottingham Forest. Despite having 65% of the ball, it only yielded one shot on target, highlighting our lack of creativity and that we are still missing that key ingredient in the final third.

Another compelling stat to magnify the pedestrian build-up play is an average of 128 passes per shot showing a lack of ideas at the business end of the pitch.

Things at Newcastle were somewhat easier to digest. With more efforts at goal and we tested the keeper on a number of occasions, but the main caveat being, we played against ten men for the best part of an hour, which masked the issues.

Martin was asked pre-Forest game about our transfer plans as the deadline approaches. He said: "We would expect us to still be busy towards the end."

He was also quizzed post-match and said: "I think we need to add some help in the attacking third. If there was a difference today, I think that’s it."

With the arrival of Mateus Fernandes to bolster the midfield and the goalkeeper situation hopefully coming to its conclusion, our priority should now be adding firepower up front to this goal-shy squad.

If we have any hopes of surviving in the top flight, home form must improve to stop a repeat of our ill-fated 2022-23 season, where a lack of goal-scoring opportunities hampered our campaign resulting in just 36 goals scored and just two home wins the entire season.

Any success we aspire to have hinges on this window. The fans eagerly await.

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

Southampton have sent a new offer to Corinthians as they look to recruit 23-year-old Brazil striker Yuri Alberto. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

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

Here are some of your comments:

Southampton fans

Tom: Very disappointing. Forest fully deserved their win. They were much faster out of the traps than we were. You cannot afford to let teams bully you in the Premier League, which Saints did in the first half in particular. The midfield was worrying and it offered little help going forward or protection for the defence.

Trevor: Armstrong and Brereton Diaz are both out of their depth at this level. Archer looks like he could maybe cut it but, with Onuachu out of favour and Stewart permanently injured, we have to sign a couple of proven goalscorers or we are going to set a record for the fewest goals scored in a Premier League season.

Steve: Totally underwhelming. We had no threat whatsoever. We sign a centre-forward and play him out wide? We continue to play Championship and League One players in Stephens, Bednarek, Smallbone and any goalkeeper we have, so what do you expect? Something has to change or else where do any positive results come from?

Anthony: After this performance, another creative attacker is needed as well as a goalkeeper. We looked good going forward but we didn't create hardly any chances. Credit to Forest, they deserved the win and defended excellently. Walker-Peters and Sugawara were brilliant for us. Tyler Dibling was our best player, despite only playing 10 minutes. Onwards and upwards.

Forest fans

Ian: A vital win against our relegation battle rivals. We were clearly the better side but scoring goals will be the undoing of us if we can't get that killer second goal. There was a familiar uncomfortable panic at end, but this time we got away with it. If we convert more chance into goals, we might stand a chance of breathing more easily this season.

Mark: Excellent football at times, we just needed a little bit of luck with the final part of our forward moves or better selection for the final pass. Elanga was very dangerous. Milenkovic and Anderson did well, as well as our main driving force Gibbs-White. Excellent result. A good start to the season.

Kris: With the amount of chances we created, it should have been more comfortable but that is splitting hairs. Milenkovic was class on his debut, he is exactly what we have needed at the back. We do lack some thrust up front but the club is working on that. If this was a school report it would be a B+ - a solid start with room for improvement!

Neil: We looked good in patches. Defensively sound, but not sharp enough in front of goal. Yates gave some impetus when he came on, but it was sloppy defending and sloppier attacking from Southampton that gave us the three points. If Forest get a decent and fit attacker, we should be fine. Fingers crossed!

Image source, Getty Images

Former Southampton striker Jo Tessem believes the Saints will have to "learn their trade" again this season but says manager Russell Martin could also "learn a few little things" to help his side adjust to the "intensity" of the top-flight.

Speaking on Goin' Home with Adam & Jo, Tessem said: "The difference from last season to now is that you are going to meet better teams all the time. These teams are not afraid of coming to St Mary's because they already know how it is.

"Nottingham Forest already have that experience of coming up and surviving in the Premier League. They weren't scared of us.

"One thing that upset me quite a bit, as a football player, is how many bad passes we made against Forest. There were a lot of situations where we passed it badly, when the players weren't under pressure, and that worries me.

"Two mistakes can cost you a game and this shows the difference between the Premier League and the Championship. Teams you will play against will defend for their lives. They are much better defenders and much more clever in the way they play football.

"I agree that you have to learn your trade in the Premier League. Against Newcastle United, we created four very good opportunities - that is the other side of it - we have to learn to take those but that comes with confidence.

"We didn't have one good opportunity against Nottingham Forest and that is the worrying bit. I think there are a few little things Russell Martin could learn. He needs to learn about how to be smart and take the opportunities when you have players in the right positions."

Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton midfielder Will Smallbone says the defeat to Nottingham Forest at St Mary's Stadium was "frustrating" but believes Saints have shown they can "definitely compete" in the Premier League this season.

Speaking to BBC Radio Solent following the 1-0 loss, Smallbone said: "Coming into the first home game back in the Premier League, we really wanted to go out there and put in a good performance for the fans, so they can really get behind us.

"In the first half, we probably didn't play exactly how we wanted to. We didn't give the fans that performance. In the second half, we definitely played more like a game we played last season. We turned the game into how we wanted it to look.

"It's just frustrating that we turned it and then conceded a goal from a set play, which is something we are massive on [getting right]. It is a goal we will have to look back on and review.

"But we have shown in both of the games this season that we can definitely compete with these teams. I think it's now down to us, as the players, to give the fans something to get behind.

"There are definitely signs going forward that we can stick together and have a positive season."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

For all Southampton’s dominance of the ball against Nottingham Forest, they had just five shots to show for it… averaging 128 passes for every shot they had.

Meanwhile Forest made the most of what possession they had as they took 23 shots – the most they’ve had in a Premier League game since being promoted.

Gary Lineker presents highlights and analysis from Saturday's seven 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:

• Tottenham 4-0 Everton

• Aston Villa 0-2 Arsenal

The latest episode of Goin' Home with Adam & Jo is available now on BBC Sounds - and it contains all of the post-match reaction from the Saints' loss to Nottingham Forest.

Former Southampton striker Jo Tessem joins BBC Radio Solent's Adam Blackmore to reflect on the home defeat and discuss whether the club will make any more transfer dealings before deadline day.

Listen to the post-match podcast here

Southampton boss Russell Martin has been speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "First half, there was a lot of tension and it led to them transitioning a lot. After their goal, we were chasing it and it became a lot more open. It looked like we could cause problems.

"We don't possess the quality at the top end of the pitch that they do and I'm really annoyed to concede the goal from a set play, especially after the amount of work we do on them.

"We were on top and they had some breakaway chances. We had two balls across the face of the goal and the guys were just watching. We are going to keep learning but I've seen enough moments to feel enthused and, with a little more belief and work, we will be fine.

"We need that goal to relax everyone really. I get it after the last time the team was in the Premier League, but we are here now. The performances have been OK and everyone will relax, I'm sure."

Charlotte Coates
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

After scoring 87 goals in 46 Championship games last season, Southampton remain goalless on their return to the Premier League.

The Saints will have been disappointed not to have scored away at Newcastle in their opening match after the Magpies played the majority of the match with 10-men.

Russell Martin's side pushed for the whole of the second half to find an equaliser but failed and the same occurred here.

Despite having the majority of the ball, the Saints struggled to create any meaningful opportunities on goal.

Kyle Walker-Peters produced the only shot on target after cutting inside from his left wing-back role and it was an effort fired straight at Matz Sels in the Nottingham Forest goal.

Ben Brereton Diaz has not looked like a goal threat in his opening two matches for Forest but new signing Cameron Archer has looked a danger in his two brief spells off the bench.

It may be time for Archer to be given his first start in Saints colours when they take on Brentford next week.

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton forward Ben Brereton Diaz has failed to end on the winning side in any of his 16 Premier League appearances (D4 L12). In the competition's history, only Marvin Sordell between 2012-2015 has made more appearances (17) without ever tasting victory (D4 L13).

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on the Saints' performance, external

What did you make of Forest's display?, external

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

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Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, against a variety of guests.

For week two, he takes on Make Me A Mixtape hosts Clara Amfo and Jordan Stephens.

Sutton's prediction: 0-1

Southampton were brilliant at Newcastle. If there was a criticism of them it was they didn't really create enough when Newcastle went down to 10 men. Southampton's performance deserved something.

Forest had the horrendous injury to Danilo, which is a big blow to them. But I am going to go for Forest.

Amfo's prediction: 2-0

Stephens' prediction: 1-1

That is your first one I'd say is controversial. I feel like Southampton will have some of that post-promotion buzz in their first home game, but it will only be enough to get them a point.

Read the full predictions and have your say

This season, English top-flight clubs are trialling a new financial system that limits spending based on the earnings of the bottom side, designed to "protect the competitive balance of the Premier League".

Football finance expert Rob Wilson tells The Football News Show why, if permanently introduced, it could make the top Premier League sides less competitive against their European counterparts.

Watch The Football News Show on BBC iPlayer