Southampton

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Southampton interim manager Simon Rusk has been speaking to BBC Sport: "We wanted to build on solidity for the group and find that balance. We are the first team to deliver a clean sheet here [Craven Cottage] this season. We are delighted with that, hopefully this can be a catalyst for the players to build on and move forwards.

"They are an honest group. They are focused as professionals and focused on the job at hand. They gave everything in these last two games. They can take confidence into whatever comes next."

On goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale returning to the side: "Outstanding. He brings great energy and focus to the group. Aaron was part of a great squad performance today."

On his future following the appointment of Ivan Juric as permanent manager: "Ultimately, the role of an interim head coach is less about your vision of football and more about the immediacy of what the club and team needs.

"I've drawn on my experiences and worked as hard as I can to help the players over these two games. My task was to take responsibility for the two games, focus on that and nothing else.

"I'm sure there will be fallout from that, but tonight I'm just going to have a rest. I had a brief chat with Ivan. I'm sure over the coming weeks his identity and ideas will become clear."

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Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has been speaking to Sky Sports about incoming manager Ivan Juric: "We met him and, from what came across, he wants to be high pressing, a little more aggressive, hard to beat, crushing spaces and playing in the right areas.

"We probably kicked more today than he would like to, so it's about finding that balance between kicking when we can and letting our boys in attack enjoy themselves."

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Fulham's performance

What did you make of Southampton's display?

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

There are five matches in the Premier League on Sunday.

• Everton v Chelsea - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Fulham v Southampton

• Leicester v Wolves

• Man Utd v Bournemouth - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Tottenham v Liverpool (16:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

All kick-off times 14:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all the action and reaction here

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

For week 17, he takes on Reverend & the Makers singer Jon McClure.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

I saw Fulham first-hand at Anfield last week and they have a lovely balance to their team, with some decent options in their squad too.

Antonee Robinson is making a strong case for being the best left-back in the league this season, and racked up a couple of assists against Liverpool.

There's only one winner here. Southampton have not got a new manager yet after sacking Russell Martin, and I can't see much changing for them.

I have some sympathy for Martin because, had he lost last season's play-off final, there is a good chance he would still be in his job.

But Southampton's players are already low on confidence, and they were beaten again by Liverpool in the Carabao Cup in midweek.

Let's face it, Saints are down already and I hope they are planning for next season in the Championship.

It will be interesting to see what brand of football their next manager plays, but I hope they get some points somewhere.

At the moment they have got even fewer points than Robbie Savage's Derby County team of 2007-08 had managed at this stage.

It would be nice for Saints to end up with one more point than Derby did when they eventually finished on 11, just so Robbie can keep that record of being part of the worst Premier League team ever - it's how he is best known.

McClure's prediction: 2-0

Marco Silva is doing a great job at Fulham. They play really tidy football and it is nice to see Raul Jimenez back doing the business after his serious injury, because he is a class player.

Read the full predictions and have your say

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BBC Radio Solent sports editor Adam Blackmore believes Southampton would need "a miracle" to stay up in the Premier League this season, but has urged supporters to give Ivan Juric "a chance" following his appointment.

On a special podcast episode, Blackmore said: "There is so much negativity. It almost feels like, especially on social media, people are just waiting to give an opposite view or say something before they even have the facts in front of them.

"People will want to quote his bad spell at AS Roma or say that he hasn't managed in England before, but we didn't know much about Mauricio Pochettino when he turned up all those years ago. He shocked everybody with his football and impressed everyone.

"Juric is a much more well-known quantity, having had good success at Hellas Verona and Torino. You are no mug if you have managed in Serie A for a few years.

"So I think we have to give him a chance to see what he can do. The results cannot be any worse than they already are, for goodness sake.

"I'm not sure how we should judge him. I don't think people should be expecting the club to stay up from this position. I think we should be positively hoping they could have a miracle, but it literally would be that because no club has stayed up from the situation they are in.

"Having said that, the clubs above them are catchable but they have to string together two or three wins - and I think this week would be a good week to do it - to breathe life back into this season.

"If the worst he does is make this side harder to beat, then I think that is a start."

Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds

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Southampton boss Ivan Juric is aware the club is in "a really bad situation", with the Saints sitting nine points adrift from safety at the bottom of the Premier League table, but he hopes to do "great work" at St Mary's Stadium.

Speaking to the club's media, external after signing an 18-month contract, the Croatian manager said: "I'm very pleased. I think it is a really big challenge for me and my staff. I think we can do great work here.

"I have watched lots of Southampton games over the past few days - to see what problems there are and to try to understand the situation.

"I'm really happy [to be here] and I'm sure I will enjoy this work.

"It is a really bad situation at the moment, but I'm very optimistic because I have seen the team. They can do better [than they are] and I will try to improve them."

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We asked for your views on Ivan Juric, who is set to be appointed the new Southampton boss.

Here are some of your comments:

Ian: What a shambles. Very little success anywhere. Never worked in England. A summer get out clause. They employ someone they are not sure of and he accepts. A really poor decision all round. Nonetheless let's hope he proves me wrong.

Matt: Time will tell. His record at Roma was appalling but these things happen. Looks like an initial six-month deal and for me it depends on how he gets the team playing. Can't see anyone saving us but if he makes a good go at it then he may be the man to bring us back up. The risk here is the January transfer window. Do we stick or twist? Last time we wasted over £50m. Need to improve recruitment radically at the club. Major overhaul needed in that department.

Rob: Concerned about the contrast in style for the players from the Russell Martin approach. However he looks like a good manager and the deal, if as reported, looks like it makes sense. Could be the ideal solution.

Kevin: This is exactly what we were dreading. An unknown without Premier League experience. They understood what we needed to get back into the Premier League. It doesn't seem like they know how to keep us in it.

Andy: Who? Disappointed that it is not someone with Premier League experience but not surprised. Pleased if it is a short term contact for now and hope he has a magic wand as part of his skill set. I wish him luck.

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Italian Football Expert Daniele Verri spoke to BBC Radio Solent about what Southampton fans can expect from incoming manager Ivan Juric: "He normally plays with a three-man defence with a lone striker. He used to like having a player behind the striker, a sort of playmaker up front. In the last few years he has changed his tactical opinion so he hasn't been playing a lot with the man behind the lone striker.

"He is a manager who speaks directly - a man of personality. I expect him not to be scared of the task and show his personality.

"He sees football as solidity - he tends to be quite defensive minded and will try to counter attack, and I think this is what he will apply at Southampton. He will have to fix the defensive issues and it is the first thing he will work on."

On his failures at Roma, Verri added: "Juric turned up in a period of complete turmoil for the club - he had no backing from the club. He didn't get on with the players and no one wanted him there.

"He was a dead man walking from day one in Rome. He took the chance to do it, but it was simply wrong from A to Z."

Listen to the full analysis on Juric here

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I think it is more than possible to change styles quickly under a new manager.

I think the majority of players in the top divisions are coachable. The tweaks you can make as a new manager are not necessarily to go from Russell Martin's style of play to long balls and long throw-ins so I would not believe the change is going to be that big.

I think there is a sense at times Southampton were a bit too easy to play against so I think the first thing will be to make them more competitive and give them a bit more of an edge. Then, Martin trusted the players to play football because they can do it and we saw that in the Championship last year. The opponents now are obviously a lot better from top to bottom so you get punished that little bit more.

I do not think the new manager will have to fundamentally change anything that has gone on. I think they can just make slight tweaks and give the players an understanding of why things they did in the past were costly to them and why things they do in the future will give them a better chance.

Whoever comes in will be under pressure from the start. You compare the squad they have to other squads and it is not impossible for them to escape the position they are in. But, they will need lots of good fortune, good football and a huge increase in competitiveness for the second half of the season.

They still need to go and play their football because if they do not, they will not create the chances they have over the past year and a half.

But, there needs to be an understanding that if a team is going to beat them they need to fully earn it and it is not because they have been given little moments.

Those little moments will cost across a Premier League season.

Nedum Onuoha was speaking to BBC Sport's Nat Hayward

Nat Hayward
BBC Sport journalist

Southampton interim boss Simon Rusk has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game at Fulham (14:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Kyle Walker-Peters has returned to training today while Aaron Ramsdale is "definitely not far away". Rusk is "hopeful that we'll have one or two players available who weren't on Wednesday".

• He reflected on his short spell in charge given Saints are close to appointing Ivan Juric as their new manager: "After the decision to go a different way, I viewed the quick turnaround to the Liverpool game as a good thing as it was a quick chance to focus the players. There was a challenge physically and emotionally but it becomes an opportunity to move on quickly."

• More on his pride at leading the team: "As I've said, it's been an honour [to be in charge]. [But] this isn't about me. This is about the club at the minute and how we win a game of football."

• On how Southampton can turn their form around: "The immediate focus is what do we need to do to be more defensively solid, and we have to find a way to be able to score goals as well. That's the balance we have to get right."

• His current expectation is that he will manage the team at Craven Cottage: "I prepared the team this morning. As it stands, in my mind, I'm preparing for Sunday's game."

• On the challenge posed by Fulham: "They are a high-energy team with individuals that can hurt us, and they are on a good run of form so we need to be ready tactically, physically and mentally."

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

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Southampton are set to name Ivan Juric as Russell Martin's successor.

The Croatian boss has spent his whole managerial career so far in Italy and was most recently in charge of Roma.

The 49-year-old is known for his 'heavy-metal' style of play and demands high levels of fitness from his players as well as maximum effort in training.

What do you make of the appointment, Saints fans?

Are you happy? Is he the right man to replace Martin?

Any concerns?

Let us know here

Southampton could sell academy graduate Tyler Dibling, 18, if they are relegated from the Premier League, with Manchester United and Newcastle both interested in the English midfielder. (Football Insider), external

West Brom boss Carlos Corberan and former Denmark manager Kasper Hjulmand are among candidates to replace Russell Martin at Southampton, but interim boss Simon Rusk will remain in charge for Sunday's trip to Fulham. (Sky Sports), external

West Ham are leading the race with Leicester City and Southampton to sign 20-year-old Republic of Ireland forward Evan Ferguson from Brighton. (Givemesport), external

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

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Whatever the result in this game [against Fulham], Southampton will be bottom of the top-flight table at Christmas for the first time in their history.

If they lose this game, their five points will be the joint-second lowest of any side at Christmas in the Premier League (level with Sunderland in 2005-06), with only Sheffield United in 2020-21 having fewer (2).

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We asked for your thoughts after Wednesday's Carabao Cup quarter-final between Southampton and Liverpool.

Here are some of your comments:

Southampton fans

Laurie: I saw for the first time something I haven't seen since being promoted - a bit of real determination and proper team effort. And this was only Simon Rusk's first game. Paul Onuachu and Kamaldeen Sulemana made a huge difference and looked very dangerous. The truth is: the whole team have to start believing. I feel they are capable, especially now they are actually being allowed to adapt their game.

Steve: Tough conditions but wow, what a difference! The shackles are off. If we keep that degree of effort, we could make a season of it yet.

Mike: Any potential managerial candidate looking at last night's performance will no doubt be thinking twice or will want assurances of a war chest to patch up a defence that is holed below the waterline. When Jan Bednarek is your first-choice defender, you are truly in trouble.

Nik: Rome wasn't built in a day, right? The second-half performance showed some spirit and fight, which was good to see. We are down and out - bar a miracle. It's going to be a long rest of the season but, as long as we show some spirit and some progress, I'll be back full of naive hope again in 2025-26!

Liverpool fans

Rudy: Another business-like performance from Liverpool. Mass changes but we still managed the win, despite a potential banana-skin. Credit Southampton as this performance was decades better than Sunday. That's 20 games unbeaten! The 'Slot Machine' rolls on!

Geoff: Overall, an encouraging performance and a good indicator of our squad strength and depth. Two well-taken goals got us through a spirited Southampton fightback, and we deserved the positive result. From goalkeeper to forwards, we showed good skills and tenacity. A pleasing win.

Roger: We conceded a very poor goal, which then put us under pressure for the rest of the game. The two defenders should have easily ushered Cameron Archer onto his left foot but, with no challenge coming in, he produced a great finish. Great to see Harvey Elliott back, scoring and playing well. We probably did just enough to win, based on the first half.

Tim: The important thing is that we won in normal time and rested six of our first starters for Sunday. It was good to see some other players we don't normally get to watch. This was a game we just needed to get through without injuries.

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Southampton interim boss Simon Rusk says Southampton can take positives from their Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Liverpool, particularly with it coming after "a very quick turnaround" from Premier League action.

Former boss Russell Martin was sacked late on Sunday night following a 5-0 home defeat by Tottenham and Rusk says the Saints were not given much opportunity to prepare for the visit of Arne Slot's Premier League leaders.

"There was very little time for recovery for the lads," Rusk told BBC Radio Solent. "In the first half, probably given the nature of the other day, we were a little bit tentative and maybe a bit passive.

"I thought the first goal we conceded was a little bit unfortunate. We maybe didn't get the rub of the green in that respect, with certain actions and moments.

"But credit to the lads, they stuck together. We spoke about keeping the belief at half-time and about staying in the game, so that then grew into a great second-half display.

"The goal from Cameron [Archer] was a catalyst to really throw some caution to the wind in what we were doing.

"Overall, I thought we had that little bit more bite about us and that was aided by our moments of quality. The aim was to be in the game - and we were - so I think we can take a lot of positives from this."

Rusk confirmed that the club are not sure whether defender James Bree sustained "a contact injury or something a bit niggly like a muscular injury" during the game.

Listen to the full post-match interview on BBC Sounds

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Southampton goalscorer Cameron Archer believes the Saints "showed fight and hard work" in their Carabao Cup quarter-final defeat by Liverpool.

Speaking to BBC Radio Solent after the game, the forward said: "I thought it was a good game. We knew it was going to be an ugly game from us, because we know what they are capable of. We sat back and tried to find ways to win.

"We didn't have long to work with Rusky [Simon Rusk], but we trained and he gave us a few ideas. Obviously, it comes down to us as well.

"I haven't watched back the goals we conceded, but obviously they have good quality players so I'm not sure [how we could have done better].

"I feel like we just needed to get closer to them and show we were still in the game. When I scored the goal, it gave us a boost and the fans got back into the game. But they were probably the better side in the end."

Archer added the focus is now on their next Premier League game against Fulham.

"We have just got to train and stick together as well - that is the most important thing," he said. "We need to train, get our heads down and get the job done."

Listen to the full post-match interview on BBC Sounds

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Southampton's performance in the second half in Wednesday's Carabao Cup quarter-final defeat to Liverpool offers some "positives" for whoever replaces Russell Martin as manager, says former Saints defender Francis Benali.

Under the interim charge of Simon Rusk, Southampton produced a tepid opening 45 minutes before improving after the break - pulling a goal back and pushing hard for an equaliser late on.

"There is the frustration of going out of a cup competition at this stage but there are positives they can and should take from the second half," Benali told the Football Daily podcast.

"There was very much an element of going through the motions in the first half. It was very dominant from Liverpool even with the changes that they made.

"For Southampton, the focus is clearly now back on Premier League survival and the appointment of a new manager who the team behind the scenes at St Mary's need to get in quickly.

"This is a position that needs to be filled as soon as possible because whoever is coming in needs time to work with the squad to try and stay up this season.

"There is a huge amount of work to be done."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds