Southampton

The latest episode of Saints and Sinners podcast has landed.

Tom Deacon is joined by Taskmaster host and Liverpool fan Alex Horne to look forward to Southampton's return to Premier League action against the Reds and discuss his position on the board at Chesham United.

BBC Radio Solent's sports editor Adam Blackmore also joins the podcast to discuss Russell Martin's future at St Mary's and who should be the next Match of the Day presenter.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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Is there something that you want to ask about Southampton?

BBC Radio Solent sports editor Adam Blackmore is ready to answer your questions for a special Q&A on Monday.

Submit your question here, external and come back at the start of next week for a selection of replies

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Taylor Harwood-Bellis has spoken of the surprise he felt when he found out he had been named in the England senior squad for the first time last week.

The Southampton centre-back, 22, has been called up for the Nations League games against Greece and Republic of Ireland.

Harwood-Bellis said: "Lee Carsley rang me in the morning and said, 'you'll be with us, with the seniors'. I didn't quite believe it at first. My partner was next to me and I phoned my dad, who was very proud. He loves when I play for England, even the younger age groups.

"One of the first people to message me was Aaron Ramsdale. I was happy to see his name as he's one of my mates at the club."

The two upcoming matches will signal the end of Carsley's spell as interim boss, with Thomas Tuchel set to take control of England in the new year.

The former Manchester City defender added: "It will be a big motivation for all of the lads, knowing that there's a new manager coming in and wanting to keep your spot - that's something that especially the younger lads will be pushing towards.

"It's going to be difficult because of the quality and experience in some of the lads that aren't here is massive.

"It'll be difficult but it'll be something that I'll focus on week in and week out for Southampton and if I get minutes here."

Ray Hunt
Fan writer

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What a difference a week makes.

Two wins in a row, a clean sheet, off the bottom, and Adam Armstrong back among the goals. Flash forward seven days and the hysteria from the Everton win is well and truly forgotten.

We had the luck last weekend with the decisions, but I guess, that's our lot. Once again, we find the main talking point from Saturday's defeat at Wolves is VAR.

Ryan Manning's leveller was cancelled out by a needless VAR check on an incident that was not clear and obvious. Matheus Fernandes was found to have impeded Nelson Semedo in an off-ball collision. If anything, it looked more of a foul the other way. A goal at that point could have altered the path of the game, but instead gave the hosts an added boost.

Then, two clear infringements in the build-up to Wolves’ second goal went ignored. The decisions last week were correct. This week, they were farcical and have left us all confused and angry.

Mike Dean weighed in with his thoughts: "They should have stuck with their on-field decision in my view. I don’t think it was a foul. I don’t think it should have been overturned."

Is it high time we had officials conducting post-match interviews to explain their actions and the need to challenge the on-field decisions? For all the good that will do.

In truth, Saints never deserved to get anything from the match. Seventy one per cent possession but failing to register a single shot on target has been symptomatic of our season. If we cannot get it right - and the officials cannot either - then what hope do we have?

We can rue our luck, but at some point, it falls on us. We are still searching for our first point on the road and now I find myself fixture-watching in early November and am very concerned with the run following the final international break of the calendar year.

Liverpool, Brighton, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Spurs. Strap yourselves in, Saints fans.

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

David Moyes is eyeing a return to Premier League management with Crystal Palace, Wolves, Southampton and Leicester all potentially interested. (Talksport), external

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

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Opta's supercomputer has tipped promoted Southampton, Ipswich Town and Leicester City as the three most likely teams to get relegated from the Premier League this season.

Southampton are bottom and winless after 10 games since returning to the top flight, with the computer giving them 94.9% chance of being relegated.

Despite climbing out of the bottom three with an impressive first win of the season against Tottenham at this weekend, Ipswich are the next side being tipped to go down with a 70.7% chance.

While Leicester are 15th, three points clear of the drop zone, they are the third most likely side to get relegated according to Opta, with a 46.9% chance.

Wolves, Everton and Crystal Palace are the remaining sides that have an 18% or more chance of falling down to the second tier by May.

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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

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