The latest episode of Saints and Sinners is available now on BBC Sounds with comedian and Manchester United fan Mick Ferry joining the panel to preview the Red Devils' trip to St Mary's Stadium on Saturday.
BBC Radio Solent's sports editor Adam Blackmore also returns to the podcast to debate whether Russell Martin's tactics can lead Saints to Premier League survival.
Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds
Image source, Getty ImagesSouthampton have lost all three of their Premier League games so far this season. They could become the first side to be beaten in their first four matches in three campaigns in the competition, previously doing so in 1998-99 and 2012-13.
Ray Hunt
Fan writer
It's been a good time for an international break for Russell Martin and co.
Saints have three defeats from three, have only one goal scored and are languishing in 19th in the table. The only solace was progression in the Carabao Cup and some encouraging production off the bench on an otherwise shambolic start to life back in the Premier League.
With Manchester United at St. Mary’s up next this weekend, Martin has some decisions to make.
In terms of personnel, a few candidates have staked their claims for starting spots.
Cameron Archer, scored a brace in the cup, Adam Lallana came off the bench for the final eight minutes at Brentford and grabbed an assist. Mateus Fernandes picked up a goal and an assist in the first start at Cardiff. But perhaps the brightest star in the opening month has been the surprise package of Tyler Dibling.
He is yet to start in the league but has been involved in all three games off the bench and turned some heads. In the Forest loss, he came on for the final 12 minutes, made three successful dribbles and won five duels. He was rewarded with a start at Cardiff in the cup and bagged two assists. I felt his inclusion would have warranted a start at Brentford, but had to settle for another appearance off the bench.
Hopefully his time will come this weekend. Ideally, I’d like to see a formation change to a 4-3-3 with Jack Stephens the unlucky omission from the back five. Archer to be given a go from the off as that central figure, with Will Smallbone and Joe Aribo making way for Dibling and Mateus Fernandes.
Find more from Ray Hunt at the In that Number podcast, external
The Premier League’s summer transfer window saw clubs spend almost £2bn in all.
Data from Footballtransfers.com, external shows the biggest net spend by a club - that’s all the money spent minus all that came in from sales - was Brighton.
The Seagulls had a net spend of £153.5m.
On the flip side, the club who generated the biggest net summer profit on transfers was Manchester City, who made £115.8m, thanks in large part to the sale of Julian Alvarez.
Southampton had a net spend of £68m.
Southampton striker Paul Onuachu has turned down a move to Turkish side Goztepe. (Sabah - in Turkish), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Saturday's full gossip column
Image source, Getty ImagesEarlier, we asked you who has made the most Premier League appearances for Southampton.
James Ward-Prowse holds the record, having made 343 top-flight appearances for the Saints before his move to West Ham in 2023.
Who has made the most Premier League appearances for Southampton?
Answer will be revealed at 17:00 BST
Image source, PA MediaWe asked you for your thoughts on Southampton's transfer window, their start to the season and where you believed they would finish.
More than half of you said Saints would end up in the relegation zone based on what you had seen so far - and that was borne out in many of the comments we received.
Here's a snapshot:
Richard: The most worrying thing is Russell Martin's refusal to adapt his (playing out of defence) style despite being against better teams and with his own less skilful players. I was encouraged by their play-off performances but bottom place beckons with a record fewest goals scored I'm afraid.
Peter: Saints are making opposition teams' lives way, way too easy. We are too predictable and take too many liberties in front of our own goal. When we attack, we don't get numbers in the box quickly enough. We have some really decent players, but need more cutting edge and less madness in defence.
Paul: I think it's always difficult when you're the last team to be promoted as you have less options to buy players and less time to bond with any available. I think if the fans can keep supporting Russell and the team then things will turn around once there's been more time to realise the best combination of what we have now. That will happen.
Dave: Unless they make significant changes to their style of play and eliminate the mistakes at the back while actually scoring goals up front, they are doomed. If they persist in the pressing style, they need an overhaul of the defence, which can’t now happen until January by which time the damage will have been done.
Hedley: Football = a simple game, only complicated by those who play it! It is foolish to take unnecessary risks in an area where you don't need to take risks. In and around your own penalty area you play ultra-safe. In the opposition penalty area is where you may take risks, in a way that may lead to your team to score a goal.
Laurie: I am bitterly disappointed with the Southampton way so far. We conceded over 20 goals in the Championship last season by playing out from the back. It's simply not working and these failings are actually embarrassing the club. Change in the system needs to happen now otherwise Russell Martin goes or relegation looms.
Image source, Getty ImagesSouthampton's style of play is frustrating.
We saw what happened to Burnley last season when they were too stubborn to adapt and change from playing out from the back and there is a naivety in that. Southampton have come up with the same issue.
Russell Martin doesn't ever want to change his style of play and you could see that in the Championship last season. He does not adapt, even when they were conceding goals from the back early on in the previous campaign.
I don't think he will change and I think that will be a problem for the Saints.
At the other end of the pitch they don't have the cutting edge to be affording the mistakes in conceding. They were heavily reliant on Adam Armstrong last season, but he isn't a proven goal scorer in the Premier League despite having played for them for one season in the top-flight.
Fans like to watch attractive football, whether that comes with results or not, but the game is about getting results. Once you start to lose games it is very difficult to get that momentum back and trust within what you are doing.
Dominating possession does not win you games and that is something Martin has to look at. It will be a difficult season for them if they don't take on other styles or ways of playing. But that work should have been done in pre-season and not when the games come so quickly.
The fans will be buzzing that they are back in the Premier League but now it is about staying up. And for them to do that, they have to find alternative ways of playing to get results.
Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford
The dust has settled on the transfer window, the Premier League is well and truly back, and we are into the first international break of 2024-25.
So we want you to predict where Southampton will finish in the Premier League this season - thinking about their start to the campaign and summer transfer business.
And also, please tell us what is the one thing - good or bad - you have learned about the Saints so far in the campaign?
Let us know your thoughts here, external
Image source, Getty ImagesFormer Southampton midfielder Stuart Armstrong has joined Major Soccer League side Vancouver Whitecaps.
The 32-year-old was a free agent having ended his six-year spell with Saints in the summer.
Whitecaps sporting director, Axel Schuster said: "We are very excited to welcome Stuart and his family to Vancouver.
"He is a player who has excelled for many years at the highest levels in the United Kingdom, as well as internationally with Scotland."
Ray Hunt
Fan writer
Coming off back-to-back defeats to open the season, Saints fans were enthused by the deadline day, adding three recruits to aid our quest for survival.
The goalkeeping situation was sorted early in the day with the huge coup of Aaron Ramsdale. An international, Premier League-ready stopper who is comfortable under pressure and with the ball at his feet.
We welcomed back last season’s loanee Ryan Fraser on a permanent basis and the late arrival of Maxwel Cornet on loan from West Ham to improve options. The challenge now is to give meaningful minutes to his new recruits and somehow, find his best XI among the 14 summer additions.
Overall, it was a positive window. The squad has so much depth. Perhaps too much. The self-destructive playing style will have an impact on squad morale, but the international break has come at the right time for Russell Martin to figure out his best XI.
Indeed, Martin has a wide array of options at both ends of the pitch. But is the failure to capture a new central figure going to be costly? Given our struggles in front of net, you would have to say yes. Right-back Yukinari Sugawara is the only player to ripple the net so far.
Martin continues to use last season’s top scorer Adam Armstrong and new boy Ben Brereton Diaz in wider roles without a main central threat. Another summer signing, Cameron Archer, made his first start in the midweek cup clash at Cardiff, scoring a brace and Ross Stewart could be another central option. The injury-stricken forward has only managed a total of 27 minutes since his summer 2023 arrival from Sunderland, but remains sidelined.
The manager's focus will be putting a stop to the costly mistakes that destroyed our chances at Newcastle and Brentford and to find a way to get our forwards scoring again.
Do we have enough to survive? Jury is out, but so far, not so good.
Find more from Ray Hunt at the In that Number podcast, external
Ajax have verbally agreed a loan deal with Southampton for forward Kamaldeen Sulemana. (Fabrizio Romano), external
BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions.
Lawrence asked: I know it's only been three games but how do think the three promoted teams have fared so far? Do you think any will stay up now?
Phil answered: Not seen anything to change my mind yet, Lawrence, although the way teams like Everton have started will give them all hope.
I fancy Ipswich and Leicester to pick up points at home to give themselves a chance, but I do worry about Southampton's passing style in the Premier League – and I know I'm not the first to say that.
Brentford showed exactly how to play against them by pressing them into mistakes as they passed it around at the back on Saturday and you can be sure others will follow suit.
Southampton manager Russell Martin is unmoved and will stick to his style – but if they keep losing then there will have to be pragmatic adjustments, otherwise they will be in big trouble.
Image source, Getty ImagesFormer Southampton striker Jo Tessem says players "have to be responsible" for the mistakes made in Saturday's defeat at Brentford.
Manager Russell Martin's tactics have been questioned after Saints were repeatedly caught when playing the ball out from the back against the Bees.
"Unfortunately they [Brentford] are a better side than us," Tessem told BBC Radio Solent's Goin' Home With Adam And Jo. "It seems like they always find some spaces when they win the ball.
"Similar to Nottingham Forest, they just sat back, let us play and said, 'Let's see what you can do - and when you lose it, we're going to punish you'.
"That was how Brentford were set up. You can see the tactic. Quick counter-attacks is the way they always play. Break with pace, get it forward, wingers high, cross it and score goals. They did that to Southampton.
"You can see we played with very high risk and lost the ball a few times. When we had the ball and passed it around, they sat deep and waited for us to lose it before pouncing on us.
"The players have to be responsible for what they do on the pitch and their decision-making. When you make a mistake in this league, you get punished."
Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds
Image source, PA MediaWe asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Brentford and Southampton.
Here are some of your comments:
Brentford fans
Graham: Brentford pressed very well, putting pressure on a poor Southampton defence. Mikkel Damsgaard was quality throughout the game and showed so many quality touches and passes. Good result but in perspective, Southampton were very poor and look like they will go straight back to the Championship.
Dylan: Brilliant performance today from the Bees. We managed to capitalise on certain mistakes from them. Bryan Mbuemo and Yoane Wissa looked very solid. On to the next!
Will: Job done. At times we looked sharp. We had many half chances we created that we could have done better with, but we were clinical when they made errors and did score from a corner. Those things are positive. Happy to have six points now with a tough run coming up! Come on you Bees!
Erik: Great for Brentford that other guys can grow and show what they are made of. I will not miss Ivan Toney - he is/was overrated.
Southampton fans
Steve: Yet again we give away goals. We are NOT Manchester City. We cannot continue to try and play every ball out from the back. We are not good enough. We have to clear it sometimes and go long. Continue like this and we will lose every game. Change the system and get rid of the weak links.
Andrew: Once again the Saints dominate possession but make mistakes at the back and don’t take their chances up front. The manager needs to realise soon that the tactics need to be adapted to suit the Premier League. Mistakes will be punished and this adversely affects the confidence of the team.
Oliver: This result has been a long time coming. We’ve lost three times in largely similar games with unforced errors being the decider. We only made one change (Aaron Ramsdale obviously). The manner of this defeat is a positive in that it gives Russell an early explicit warning to adapt his tactics and line-up over the international break.
John: It would help if the manager would pick his in-form and best players. If he continues to pick players that clearly struggle at this level, then we will continue to collect nil points. A change in approach is required or the points gap will become a chasm.
Watch all the highlights and analysis from Saturday's seven Premier League fixtures with Gary and the team.
If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.
Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:
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 Southampton's loss to Brentford.
Former Southampton striker Jo Tessem joins BBC Radio Solent's Adam Blackmore to pick apart a third straight Premier League defeat for Saints.
Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds
Charlotte Coates
BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty ImagesPremier League football is tough enough but it makes it a whole lot harder to win games if you are gifting the opponents golden opportunities.
That is exactly what Southampton did in their 3-1 loss away at Brentford on Saturday afternoon.
Russell Martin has insisted his side maintain their possession-based style after winning promotion to the Premier League but it hasn't been successful so far.
Will Martin stick or twist when his side face Manchester United after the international break?
The Saints boss said to BBC Match of the Day post-match: "I knew it was going to be the narrative from the start of the season. The frustrating thing is we could have scored a couple of goals today but we made a couple of mistakes."
It is clear to see how Martin wants his side to play and they do it for large parts of the game, pressing in the top flight is amongst the best in the world and strikers are always looking to catch defenders out.
With no points yet to be won, the Saints are already facing an uphill battle to maintain their Premier League status.
Image source, Getty ImagesSouthampton have lost their first three games in a Premier League season for a record sixth time, also doing so in 1993-94, 1997-98, 1998-99, 2001-02 and 2012-13.
Saints have, however, avoided relegation on each of the previous five occasions.
