Southampton

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Brighton have completed the signing of 18-year-old midfielder Kamari Doyle from Southampton.

The England under-19 international has been with Saints since the age of nine and signed a professional contract in 2022.

He made his first-team debut against Brighton last May and made a substitute appearance against Gillingham in the Carabao Cup.

"We’re delighted to welcome Kamari to the club," said Albion's technical director David Weir.

"He has a lot of attributes for a midfielder and he has already had some first-team experience during his time at Southampton. We’re looking forward to seeing him develop over the next few months."

Doyle will initially link up with the under-21s at Amex Stadium.

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Southampton assistant manager Matt Gill says there will be changes for the FA Cup fourth-round game against Watford but insists "there is a balance to be had."

The Saints are on a club-record 21 games unbeaten run and are on the fringe of the automatic promotion places in the play-offs.

Success in the FA Cup offers a distraction but one the coaching team are determined to keep going.

"We certainly want to win the game," Gill said. "There will be some changes, of course, and lots of the players deserve to play. "I think a real strength of ours over the period of our unbeaten games is that everyone has been used. The players need to be ready.

"There is a balance to be had and we need to find that balance to make sure we’re really competitive for the game.

"We’re going to need everyone between now and the end [of the season] anyway, so we need everybody to be as ready as they can be."

With Watford in the hunt for the Championship play-offs, Southampton have maintained their approach to prepare for the match.

"We've viewed this game the same as any other in the way we've analysed it and approached the working week," Gill said.

"We'll take some stuff from what we did well against them last time [in the league] and what we need to improve on.

"But they'll want to win the game also."

Coventry City attacking midfielder Callum O'Hare, 25, is out of contract in the summer and being monitored by Southampton, Burnley and Leicester City. (Mail), external

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On the latest episode of the Saints and Sinners Southampton podcast, Tom Deacon and Adam Blackmore discuss the Saints' 3-1 victory over Swansea.

"It was the best I have seen Southampton play since the 8-0 against Sunderland and 4-0 against Newcastle - the Ronald Koeman high. It was remarkable," Blackmore told the Saints and Sinners podcast.

"A thing of beauty. What separates them from watching Leicester and Ipswich is they have more personality in their game."

Listen to the full episode

Southampton manager Russell Martin has been explaining how he approached taking over the side following their relegation to the Championship on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club: "In September, we lost four games. It is the only month we have lost in, which is crazy. They all came at once. It was difficult to sort of translate and communicate that I was comfortable with it.

"Not losing, I hate losing. Everyone who is in this job wants to win and you have to be a winner to be involved with it for so long, but I understood why we weren't doing what we wanted to do. I understood the context of the situation really well, it was so difficult with the transitional change.

"I also understood that I was asking them to do something which was the complete opposite to what they were doing previously as a group. That's really not very easy and, to do that when the group was still fractured and damaged from the season before, it was really interesting.

"It was difficult to try and tell everyone that we were going to try to be consistent, have some fun and, if it didn't work out, that it would be me to blame and not them."

Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds

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Southampton set a new club record of 21 games unbeaten with a 3-1 win over Swansea City.

As ever, the midfield was crucial. Usually playing a core yet understated role in the Saints' success, with the attackers taking most of the media plaudits, it was the trio at the heart of the team that lifted Southampton into second place.

Stuart Armstrong contributed two assists and Will Smallbone and Flynn Downes scored before half-time.

Their success has come at a cost, with Carlos Alcaraz benched again. The Argentina midfielder, who signed a fresh contract until 2028 in October, has only started one of the past eight matches in the Championship.

The 21-year-old was tipped to shine this season and was one of the Saints' few bright sparks in a dismal Premier League campaign, but he has not been able to nail down a place in the side.

Alcaraz is a maverick in Russell Martin's possession system. According to Whoscored.com, his passing success rate is 82.9%, ranking him 20th in the squad.

He can create magic in a flash, but with Southampton looking for careful and considered build-up play, he might have to alter his style to get in the side over Armstrong, his direct competitor.

Southampton manager Russell Martin has been discussing the "detail" in set-piece preparation on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

Listen to the show in full here

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Former Southampton player Jo Tessem reflects on Saints record unbeaten run on BBC Radio Solent's Going Home with Adam and Jo podcast: "It was a fantastic game [against Swansea] and the first half was the best we have seen of them for a very long time.

"Swansea did not know what to do. They were outplayed and outsmarted. It was one-touch football and so effective. You cannot defend against that.

"We've been giving Russell Martin a lot of credit for [making sure] players that are doing a good job stay on the pitch. He will always look after the team first.

"The scorelines are now starting to reflect our game style and that had been a criticism before, that we were having possession but not seeing teams off."

Listen to the full episode here

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Southampton boss Russell Martin says he "hated playing" against Joe Rothwell when he was a player.

Rothwell, who has joined Saints on loan from Bournemouth until the end of the season, has already impressed the manager since signing for the club earlier this week.

"He'll be in the squad, he's looking good," Martin said.

"It will take a bit of time to get used to what we're asking, it's very different to what he's been offered at Blackburn and Bournemouth but he's a really talented footballer and athlete.

"When you add them two ingredients and the character he's got, it's exciting for us. It's a really good addition, we have good depth in midfield. We have different players and options for different games and he gives us a bit of something that we didn't have and really fantastic set-piece delivery.

"I'm excited to work with Joe, I really hated playing against him when he was at Blackburn, it's always a good sign of a player that you don't enjoy facing. I think we can really help him and he can really help us.

"He's great friends with Jack [Stephens] and Arma [Adam Armstrong]. I spoke to them a lot about him before he came, about his character and ability. I think it's really important to listen to players at that point. When they both spoke so highly of him, it was a no-brainer.

"Joe's in, maybe one more (signing) at some point but apart from that I'm really happy with the squad."

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Southampton midfielder Flynn Downes says new loan signing from Bournemouth Joe Rothwell is "some player" and he is relishing competition for his place in the team.

Rothwell arrived from the Cherries earlier this week and could make his debut away to Swansea on Saturday (12:30 GMT).

"It's always good to strengthen in January, especially when we're doing this well," West Ham loanee Downes told BBC Radio Solent.

"To come into a group that's high on confidence - hopefully that can rub off on him and he can help us take off even more.

"If you watch any of his games you can tell he's a good player.

"Every good squad needs competition, I welcome it. If he's a better fit than me so be it, I'll be happy for the team. He looks some player so hopefully he can bring a lot to the team."

Russell Martin's team have a chance to break a club record of 20 games unbeaten set in 1921-22 when they face the Swans on Saturday and Downes believes it would be just reward for their hard work.

"It's massive for us to go break that record on Saturday," he added.

"We feel like we deserve it, the work we've put in over the last few months. Having a dodgy spell at the start, it's just meant to be.

"We just want to keep this unbeaten run going and see where it takes us."

Listen to the full chat on BBC Sounds

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Southampton thumped Sheffield Wednesday 4-0 to move to 20 games unbeaten, equalling a 103-year record.

It was another impressive display from the Saints at St Mary's, with Russell Martin’s men winning for the eighth consecutive time at home - having scored 23 goals and only conceded three, including five clean sheets, in that run.

Last season, Southampton’s 55 points after 27 matches would have meant they were comfortably in second place, 12 points ahead of third.

However, in this unrelenting Championship season, such a tally is only good enough to see you put pressure on those in the automatic places, while just about holding off an impressive fourth-positioned Leeds United.

Despite being on the cusp of beating an all-time club record of 24 matches without a loss between 1896 and 1897, there is still room for improvement.

Southampton's home comforts are coming to an end. Playing four of their past five on home soil, the Saints are now on their travels for five of their next six matches.

They have only scored one goal in each of their past six on the road and haven't been clinical enough, leading to some frustrating draws. Dominant away performances are the only thing missing this term.

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Southampton have signed Bournemouth midfielder Joe Rothwell on loan until the end of the season.

Rothwell, 29, has made 35 appearances for the Cherries since joining from Blackburn Rovers in the summer of 2022, including 11 this season.

He featured 161 times in four years with the Championship side before his move to Vitality Stadium.

In-form Southampton are third in the second tier and on a 19-game unbeaten league run.

"I’m thankful to Southampton for allowing me to come here. Hopefully I can come in and show my experience of this league and help them get over the line," said Rothwell.

"I can't wait to finally get going and put my boots on, and hopefully we can get the club back to where it belongs."

Saints director of football Jason Wilcox added: "Joe is a quality addition who gives us further strength and depth in the squad, which will be particularly important as the season goes on."

On the latest episode of BBC Radio Solent's Goin' Home With Adam And Jo, the team reflect on the 4-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday as well as debating how every Saints player is doing this season.

Former Southampton striker Jo Tessem said: "You have got to do your job on the pitch first before you help your team-mates. That's what Russell Martin has bought to this team - you do your job then he does his job, then the team becomes a good team.

"That's exactly what we are doing and what we are seeing as well.[Against Wednesday] it came out in full flower. Absolutely brilliant.

"Having 68% possession, you should win a game 4-0 and they did today. We've been waiting for that to happen earlier in the season and today we got it.

"We need to just concentrate on what's in front now and the moment we are in and enjoy that. Worry about other things and next year when they come. Where it ends we don't know, but let's enjoy that.

"The atmosphere was absolutely fantastic. People come to St Mary's to be entertained - and they were thoroughly entertained."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Bournemouth midfielder Joe Rothwell, 29, is set to have a medical at Southampton before completing a loan move until the end of the season. (Daily Echo), external

Southampton are also targeting a winger on loan this month, with 21-year-old Manchester United and Ivory Coast international Amad Diallo and 26-year-old Bournemouth and Wales international David Brooks on their shortlist. (Givemesport), external

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