Southampton

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

Here are some of your comments:

Wolves fans

John: A frustrating first-half performance after a stunning opening goal. We then sat deep which was strange as we are much better going forward but clearly afraid of giving away possession. In the second half we came out with much more energy, snapping away at Southampton and Joao Gomes in particular was immense. A great Matheus Cunha strike. Deserved win.

Geoff: Woeful, sideways, mind-numbing and pedestrian football, Gary O'Neil didn’t win the game... VAR ensured Wolves got a win! He has taken us from a fast counter-attacking style to the slow, patient, run-the-clock-down rubbish we saw under Mick McCarthy all those years ago. Far from a convincing win.

Graham: At last, three points. Dare I say the pendulum is swinging our way for a change? Two decisions have gone for us in as many weeks but not before time. Why did we not play like we did in the second half in the first? The international break will now give us time to enjoy this result. Well done lads.

Southampton fans

Darren: We had 71% possession and not a single shot on target. We are so one-dimensional. Russell Martin doesn't listen and will be sacked saying "we had lots of possession". He is clearly not a Premiership manager. Fix it now before it's too late!

David: Our manager continues to be a predictable 'one-trick pony', who seems incapable of fully appreciating how easy it is for other teams to set up, be patient and wait to pounce on our inevitable mistakes. Too many of our squad are Championship level, and Jan Bednarek is the ultimate ball watcher.

Derek: Just really, really disappointing. When it's a game we cannot lose and we have zero shots on target, it simply isn't good enough. Away from home we have to go for it and pressurise the home team because we can't even rely on our home form at the moment. Sadly, relegation is looking inevitable.

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Former Southampton player Jo Tessem tells the Goin' Home With Adam And Jo podcast that Southampton's lack of threat in one-on-one situations is their biggest issue.

"We haven't got a squad. When you look at the changes we made, they aren't Premier League quality.

"The most important thing in football is having players with one-on-one skills and I don't think we have any. We have pace in the team but, with the way we play, we are never set up to have one-on-one situations.

"We are in the possession game where it is almost impossible to outplay another team and score goals in the Premier League. That is where you need the quick-thinking players who can make the right decision in one on ones and get past [defenders]. We don't have that.

"In the 4-3-3 formation, you have to have wingers high and wide on the ball side and a striker high up. You have to get the ball there quickly. We were [playing very deep in the second half].

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Highlights and analysis from Saturday's six 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:

• Wolves 2-0 Southampton

• Brighton 2-1 Man City

The latest episode of the Goin' Home With Adam And Jo podcast has landed.

BBC Radio Solent Sport Editor Adam Blackmore and former Southampton player Jo Tessem are joindiscuss Saturday's defeat against Wolves.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Tom Gayle
BBC Match of the Day commentator at Molineux

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This was your textbook six pointer. However, irrespective of the scoreline, the approach from the two men in charge was a strong indication of how each will go about their business when it comes to picking up points.

For Gary O’Neil the result was clearly more important than the performance. Despite leading 1-0, the majority of the first half was played out amidst an anxious atmosphere amongst the Wolves supporters, frustrated by the apparent lack of pressing from their team, and a reluctance to commit too many bodies forward.

We had the bizarre situation at one point where Rayan Ait-Nouri stood hand on hip in disbelief at his Head Coach’s instruction to play the ball backwards, rather than race forward with one of his counter attacking marauding runs home fans have come to expect. It was far from pretty at times, but O’Neil would argue the ends justified the means.

As for Russell Martin, and I won’t be the first or last to make this observation, Southampton appear stubbornly wedded to a possession based playing philosophy, that whatever the game situation or opponent, will not change. Speaking to both Martin, and Taylor Harwood-Bellis pre-match, they both made it clear the plan was to impose their game style on Wolves.

It was hard to keep track of the number of passes Southampton made with each venture forward. It’s no surprise they are still yet to score from a cross. Set-pieces and corners aside, never once did a Saints player opt to swing a ball into the box from open play and simply see what happens. Calculated and methodical, rather than throwing caution to the wind.

Time will tell how significant this game was in deciding the fortunes of both teams, and indeed the futures of both managers. Yet from I saw from up of the gantry, O’Neil appears content to don his tin hat when needed, and get the job done by any means necessary, whereas with Martin, winning ugly doesn’t seem to be an option he’s willing to explore.

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Russell Martin spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Southampton's defeat to Wolves: "It's football and it's about how we respond. We started the game badly with two mistakes leading to their goal. We've dominated the ball, limited them to eight shots at home and lost 2-0. I would expect us to get something and we didn't."

On Ryan Manning's goal goal being ruled out: "I think it's open to interpretation. Semedo doesn't try to play the ball. he puts his leg across him and then there's contact. We were expecting a penalty. It is what it is. It's disappointing when you're on the end of two tough calls. We should have done better. We have a lack of punch. We have to create.

"We need to work really hard to try and improve."

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Wolves' performance, external

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

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

Six matches make up Saturday's Premier League action, and we will bring you every moment.

• Brentford v Bournemouth

• Crystal Palace v Fulham

• West Ham v Everton

• Wolves v Southampton (listen on BBC Radio 5 Live)

• Brighton v Man City - 17:30 (listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Liverpool v Aston Villa - 20:00

Kick-off 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

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

For week 11 he takes on Mylee and Tate from CBBC football drama Jamie Johnson FC (JJFC).

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

This is the battle of the bottom two, and it is a big game for both managers going into the international break, although I don't think either side have been as bad as their results suggest.

Southampton will take a lot of heart from their win over Everton and fair play to their manager Russell Martin, who has stuck to his guns over their style of play.

It is Wolves who I am backing here, though. They have always got a goal in them.

Gary O'Neil's side got a bit of a break last time out when Crystal Palace had that late goal disallowed, but I think they are in for a more comfortable afternoon this time.

Mylee's prediction: 1-2

Southampton finally won last week and I think they are going to get another one here.

Tate's prediction: 1-0

They have both made shaky starts but Wolves have a bit more grit.

Read the full predictions and have your say here

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With just a point separating the sides at the bottom of the Premier League table, the pressure is on when Wolves and Southampton meet at Molineux on Saturday.

While they go head to head on the pitch, we have asked our fan writers for each club to go head to head off it.

Each fan got to ask three questions of the other before the big game...

Dave Azzopardi
Fan writer

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Here is what our Wolves fan writer Dave Azzopardi had to say in response to questions from our Southampton contributor Glen de la Cour.

Is there a feeling among the Wolves fanbase that Gary O'Neil is really in last-chance saloon with this game and has to win it? Given the recent run of form, do you expect to win it?

Yes, there is definitely a feeling among the majority of the fanbase that this is a must-win for O'Neil.

There have been some positive elements to our games recently, which gives us some encouragement ahead of Saturday. However, one win in 20 games - including last season - is not good enough and it is no surprise some Wolves fans will not be particularly looking forward to this game.

Your fixtures seem to have been very unkindly frontloaded with big clubs. Do you expect the team and manager to climb the table as we head towards Christmas and the fixture list, on paper, gets a bit kinder?

I certainly hope so. This team is good enough to compete with most sides in the division and we should not be in this position, even with the difficult fixtures.

Our fixtures are certainly more favourable towards Christmas but it will be interesting to see if Wolves can find those wins and take some momentum into that run.

I believe we are strong enough and I hope by Christmas we are much further up the table.

Is Wolves' poor defensive record down to poor organization and tactical setup, or poor individual defending by certain players?

It is a bit of everything. Going forward we have been OK and scored a decent amount of goals but, as you are aware, we have an awful defensive record so far.

Conceding regularly from set-pieces is a slight concern. We even sacked our new set-piece coach last month but things do not seem to have improved much on that front.

We rarely concede a goal where I think: "Fair play, that is a really good goal." It is normally from our own errors, whether that is gifting the possession to the opposition or poor defensive positioning.

If O'Neil keeps his job beyond this weekend, this will need addressing urgently.

Find more from Dave Azzopardi at Talking Wolves, external

Make your selection

Glen de la Cour
Fan writer

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Here is what our Southampton fan writer Glen de la Cour had to say in response to questions from our Wolves contributor Dave Azzopardi.

Coming out of the Championship, Southampton had the reputation of playing a certain brand of football. Has Russell Martin adapted his style of football yet to suit the squad in a tougher division?

You can get away with a lot at the lower level and there is a feeling that Martin is still working out what you cannot do when you do not have better players than the opposition.

He will never compromise on the possession-based style, but what we need to do once we have beaten the press is to create more chances, rather than just turning back and allowing teams to get back into shape.

He is learning but the problem is, he has been learning while we have been losing games and that, of course, is not sustainable.

Like Gary O'Neil, Martin had been under some pressure after struggling to pick up points early on. Is there still mounting pressure going into this game despite a win last weekend?

The win against Everton has certainly kept the noise down around his future, for this international break at least. Had we failed to beat Everton, then this game would really have been the last-chance saloon for both managers.

As it is, I feel that O’Neil is under more pressure, especially with his team being at home and because of the tail end of last season too.

There is pressure on this game for Southampton because the next five games are against teams that are going to be finishing in the top half, so Saints really have to target this fixture for a win.

Which Southampton players are standing out right now? Who are the players Wolves need to be watching out for on Saturday?

Aaron Ramsdale always stands out. He is the one player we signed of proven Premier League quality, and we certainly would not have beaten Everton last week without him.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis has come to the fore in the past few games, which has culminated in him getting an England call-up. The two brightest players in attacking areas are Mateus Fernandes, who is always looking to be positive and the youngster everybody is talking about, Tyler Dibling, who is our most skilful and threatening forward player.

The main goal threat will be provided by Cameron Archer and you cannot rule out Adam Armstrong.

Find more from Glen de la Cour at the Total Saints Podcast, external and at Saints Blog, external

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Southampton manager Russell Martin is confident that Gary O'Neil can turn Wolves' fortunes around this season.

With the two set to play against each other on Saturday for the first time since they entered management, Martin spoke about his friendship with O'Neil when they were team-mates at Norwich from 2014-16.

"We stayed in touch beyond [playing careers] when he was at Liverpool and Bournemouth and I was at MK Dons and Swansea," Martin said. "Not so much now because things get very busy.

"We were probably two of the moaniest players in training and having an opinion on the game so it doesn't surprise me that we have gone on to this side of it. We spent most of our time arguing on the pitch but we got on really well. We used to have a lot of conversations around football.

"Part of that comes from those conversations when you are on the training ground, when you are playing and travelling or in hotels - I just used to feel for [former Norwich defender] Steven Whittaker, who would sit there and roll his eyes at us.

"We've all got a different idea of the game but we all have clarity about what we want and part of that comes from them conversations."

With Southampton 19th and Wolves 20th, both managers are under scrutiny and in desperate need of a positive result at Molineux.

Whatever happens, Martin is convinced O'Neil will have success in his managerial career.

"I look forward to catching up with him," Martin said. "I had a lot of time for him as a team-mate and as a person. I think he's done a brilliant job and it was brilliant that he got the opportunity at Bournemouth as a young English coach.

"He did great last season and I have no doubt that they will hit their stride this season because they have been unfortunate and had a really tough run of fixtures. I look forward to catching up with him after the match - but for 90 minutes all of the friendship goes out of the window."

Josh Lobley
BBC Sport journalist

Southampton boss Russell Martin has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League trip to Wolves (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• He began with a squad update: "It's pretty much as is. 'Wee Man' [Ryan Fraser] has trained for the last couple of days, but it's probably too early to be in the squad. Everyone else seems to be good."

• On Taylor Harwood-Bellis' England call-up: "It's brilliant for the club. For us, he's been huge. We've had a difficult start and in the last few weeks we've seen him grow a lot as a character and leader on the pitch. He has to keep improving - he's an extremely talented young man. I'm delighted for him."

• On summer signing Yukinari Sugawara: "I think he's been outstanding to adapt to a different culture and environment. The only thing that has disrupted his season is the knock against Leicester and the amount of travelling he does [with Japan during the international breaks]. It's hard for him to come back with freshness and energy. I think he's been amazing and is ready for the Premier League."

• Martin praised Aaron Ramsdale for his national team call-up as well as Tyler Dibling, who also earned his first call-up to England's Under-21 squad.

• On Wolves boss Gary O'Neil, who was Martin's team-mate during his playing days: "I look forward to catching up with him. I had a lot of time for him as a team-mate and as a person. I think he's done a great job and did great last season. I have no doubt they [Wolves] will hit their stride at some point."

• Martin dismissed the idea of Wolves being an easier match than others: "The challenge is always the same - to impose the game you want and be aware of the opposition threat. I'm sure Gary is preparing his team in the same way."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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Southampton defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis said he did not expect to be called into the England squad for the first time on Thursday.

The 22-year-old has been a regular for England at under-21 level but told club media, external he was "pleasantly surprised" to receive a phone call informing him of his first selection for the senior team.

The former Manchester City centre-back said: "I've obviously thought about it as something I wanted to do in my career but, to do it now, I didn't expect it.

"It'll be a good experience. It'll be tough to get minutes but I want to play. I'm not the type of person to be happy sitting on the bench, no matter who I'm playing for. Hopefully I can get a few minutes and I'll be proud."

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Wolves are yet to win a game this season in the Premier League and they host Southampton who are fresh off their win over Everton last weekend.

That win will have relieved a little bit of pressure off Russell Martin's back and it has proved to fans, the board and us that Southampton can win games playing the way that they want to. That is a boost, so Saints will not be approaching this game in a different manner.

The pressure is very much on Wolves to win because they are playing a promoted side at home. That would be the case regardless of their position - and they should be favourites. Unfortunately for them, that means Southampton can play like the underdogs.

However, I do not look at this game and think a manager will lose his job from the result.

If Wolves get completely outplayed by Southampton then it could be a different conversation, but that it is going off the assumption that O'Neil could lose his job at the club.

We do not know that.

What should happen to O'Neil if Wolves fail to beat Southampton?

Make your selection

Nedum Onuoha was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford

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We asked for your to tell us one thing that no one is talking about at Southampton at the moment.

Here are some of your comments:

Andy: While Russell Martin's style of play and in-game tactics are far from perfect, it's fair to say the quality of the players to choose from has deteriorated since we were last in the Premier League. We've failed to match the standard of departing stars like Ward-Prowse, Livramento, Adams and even injury-prone Lavia. January transfer window hugely important.

Mike: Saints won't stay up because we have failed to bring quality signings to key areas of the pitch: creative midfield, central defence and striker. Bednarek, Stephens, Armstrong - these players have failed before in the Premier League and they are letting us down again. Fernandes looks a decent player but Flynn Downes is struggling.

Matthew: As much as the fans are extremely negative, we should be on between nine and 15 points by now. However, the players will know that and with a win now under our belt we should kick on with confidence and a clear aim. Trust in Martin's process and safety will come, especially if we win at Wolves.

Maximus: How much longer will it be before it's realised that we need to have more than one style of play? It makes us so predictable to play against. We may change the formation from time to time but we still employ the playing out from the back system. If we get pressed, we fall apart because we cannot adapt. Adapt or get someone who can.

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At a news conference on Thursday, England interim head coach Lee Carsley spoke about Southampton centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Newcastle left-back Lewis Hall, who have received their first call-ups to the senior squad.

"Both players who have played a lot of minutes this season and showed they can play at a high level," said Carsley.

"I know them both really well. Taylor is a player who really deserves it, he's a brilliant captain. Lewis has taken his time to settle in but has shown he can be consistent. He's got a great left foot."