Southampton

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Former Southampton player Jo Tessem, speaking on BBC Radio Solent's Goin' Home With Adam & Joe podcast after Saturday's 1-1 draw with Watford: The one thing we definitely have a problem with is scoring goals. Whether that's due to the striker or the way we play, you can discuss it a bit.

"I think when you play a 4-3-3, it's an offensive formation that should bring more goals. You can look at Watford, who play 4-3-3, and they've managed to score quite a few goals and have lost one in their past 10.

"I think having a talisman up front would help us. We need that individual who can score goals and get us out of trouble, and good teams always have it. I think we need to go and buy a striker in January."

BBC Radio Solent sports editor Adam Blackmore added: "They've scored goals, but when you look at who's got how many, you've got to be getting Alcaraz more than one goal by December. Stuart Armstrong has got two goals, as many as Kyle Walker-Peters at right-back. He's had a good season, but he needs more end product.

"You've got to say there's players who are playing well who can definitely be more clinical. I think we definitely need one more proven goalscorer, not another youngster from an academy."

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It is important for Southampton players to know that "everyone can be involved at any point", believes boss Russell Martin.

The Saints are unbeaten in their past 11 league matches and travel to an in-form Watford on Saturday looking to extend that run.

Martin feels part of the reason for their recent success is giving players the opportunity to break into and stay in the team.

"I think we've been with flexible with shape and tweaks during the game and I think everyone realises they will have a chance at some point," Martin said.

"It's up to us, but I think the hardest job as a manager is keeping the players who are not playing happy, motivated, feeling part of it and like they belong. I think they understand that everyone here - whether you're the captain, you haven't played or you've only played a couple of games - can be involved at any point.

"I think that is so important if you're going to have success and I think it's so important if you want players to come on to the pitch ready and understand their role. Today we have coached the life out of the ones who are playing and same with the ones who aren't playing.

"When the under 21s come over, we prepare them so they're ready to go on the pitch for their role or as ready as they can do. That is our job to keep doing that and give [the players] as much energy as possible."

Harry Tizard, The Saints Score, external

Southampton's strong home form in the Championship continued last week, with back-to-back wins over Bristol City and Cardiff City stretching their winning run at St Mary's to four matches.

Now 11 games unbeaten in the league, Russell Martin will be delighted with his team's start to a busy December period. However, he will have to navigate the rest of 2023 without Kamaldeen Sulemana and Ross Stewart.

The pair are out until mid-to-late January with injuries. As a result, many Southampton fans are targeting the upcoming transfer window to strengthen the side.

Despite this, with the Saints squad full of talent, new arrivals next month must only be done if they benefit the long-term ambitions of the club.

Southampton were without Sulemana for the first five matches of the season, with Sam Edozie unfortunate to lose his place to the Ghana international. Only starting one of the previous 12 matches, Edozie must now get the chance to prove himself alongside Ryan Fraser, who has also been starved of regular opportunities despite changing games off the bench.

Besides, Stewart's 17 minutes in a Southampton shirt hardly needs replacing. Adam Armstrong has already struck 12 Championship goals, with Che Adams also showing signs of improvement.

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Former Southampton player Jo Tessem told BBC Radio Solent's Going Home with Adam and Jo podcast what the Saints need to do in the January transfer window: "We do need a striker, we need individual players who can win those difficult games. We need to use the last few games before January, look at it and see how we can improve the team.

"Improve it for going up to the Premier League. We can't be thinking 'we need to buy them now because we are going to go to the Premier League.' We need to get there first.

"We've got Ross Stewart in as a striker and he's injured - it hasn't paid off. Hopefully he can come back and be a better player in January.

"It is a gamble when you buy a player with a serious Achilles injury and £10m is a lot for an injured player I have to say.

"Russell Martin has been after Stewart for many seasons, even at his previous club. Maybe it's the love affair with Stewart that's forced it through.

"We need to buy a striker, a prolific goalscoring one. If we buy one, it probably puts the pressure on Che Adams to say he is free to go. We'll sell him for £5m and buy someone who wants to stay here."

Listen to the full episode here

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Southampton have been drawn to face the winners of Alfreton or Walsall at St Mary's Stadium in the FA Cup third round.

The game will take place on the weekend of 6-7 January.

Read the full draw here

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Ross Stewart and Kamaldeen Sulemana look poised to be sidelined until the New Year.

Stewart has made only two substitute appearances since his deadline-day move from Sunderland, largely because of an Achilles injury. To compound matters, the Scotland striker picked up a fresh muscle injury when he fell awkwardly against Huddersfield Town.

Saints manager Russell Martin said: "Ross has worked so hard to get fit and he landed in a compromising position late in the Huddersfield game.

"We won’t expect him this side of Christmas, more likely mid-to-late January. We’re really heartbroken for Ross - it's really unfortunate and we're really disappointed.

"We haven’t rushed him, everyone’s been in agreement with the plan."

Likewise, Sulemana was substituted in the first half of the 1-0 win against Bristol City on Wednesday night and will be out of action for a similar period of time.

"They are two big losses but when someone gets injured it’s an opportunity for someone else," added Martin, who says the injuries may change their priorities for the January transfer window.

"We didn’t envisage those two getting injured, so it might change the plan a little bit. It depends on their progress and the results between now and then.

"People will have the chance to step up now to take the opportunities. Everyone else has to be ready."

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Southampton boss Russell Martin described full-back Kyle Walker-Peters as a "beautiful footballer" following his second goal of the season in their 1-0 win against Bristol City.

His stunning strike on the 47th minute gave the Saints their seventh win in their 10-game unbeaten run and Martin is pushing Walker-Peters to add more goal contributions to his game.

"He can score more and assist more," said Martin. "It's a brilliant, brilliant goal."

BBC Radio Solent's Adam Blackmore spoke about the impact Walker-Peters has on the team on the Goin' Home With Adam And Jo Podcast: "I wonder how important he's become. You look at what happened in the summer [rumoured transfer interest] and you just wonder by the end of the season how important keeping him will have been.

"He's such an integral part of what they're doing. It's almost like the team is built around him to get the most out of him."

Listen to the full Goin' Home With Adam And Jo Podcast on BBC Sounds

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Southampton manager Russell Martin had a frosty exchange with BBC Radio Solent's Adam Blackmore following Southampton's 1-0 win against Bristol City.

After disagreeing that the visitors had enough chances to be ahead in the first half, Martin said: "You've just made it out like they were cutting us open. One's a set piece, and the other one is a counter attack which they came set up to do."

He added: "I sound a bit cagey, but it has annoyed me a little bit because I thought we were outstanding in the second half."

When asked if he was happy, the Saints boss responded: "I was until we started this interview.

"On Saturday, I was frustrated because I was sat in the stand and couldn't influence or impact how I feel I can," he said. "[Against Bristol City] we were so dominant but it was a bit sticky at half-time. In the second half that was as good as we’ve played all season but because we only scored one goal, it's frustrating."

Martin summed up by saying, "Everyone's happy. I'm tired and we'll talk on Friday."

Reflecting on the conversation on BBC Radio Solent's Goin' Home With Adam And Jo Podcast, Blackmore explained Martin was "very defensive" but said he believed the frustration was nothing personal but rather "about the past couple of games."

Nevertheless, the Saints will look to extend their 10-game unbeaten run when they play Cardiff at St Mary's Stadium on Saturday.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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Radio Solent Sports editor Adam Blackmore on X (formerly Twitter): "So, went into my interview with Russell Martin expecting it to be routine after a 1-0 win but then he took a strange interpretation of my questions and we had a bit of a stand-off. Should make it a bit more interesting for you to hear."

You can listen to Adam's chat to Martin here

Harry Tizard, The Saints Score, external

Southampton have seemed to put their early-season stutters behind them and are on a nine-game unbeaten run in the Championship.

Sitting comfortably in the play-off spots and piling the pressure on second-place Ipswich Town - who have won just one of their past four matches - calls for Russell Martin's departure after four successive defeats earlier in the campaign look more reactionary by the week.

And despite the upturn in form and the positive sentiment around the newly loved team, the encouraging thing is the side are nowhere near their full potential.

Captain Jack Stephens is making his way back from injury, fan favourites Carlos Alcaraz and Kamaldeen Sulemana have shown exciting promise but are far from their best form, Che Adams is yet to display his quality after a tumultuous transfer window and summer signing Ross Stewart is making his way back after a long-term absence.

There were some subtle groans after the draw against Huddersfield Town, but if the Saints can combine wins at home with points away, they are almost guaranteed to be pushing for the automatic promotion spots.

With eight games left in 2023, Southampton have a chance to end a difficult year on a high.

Southampton manager Russell Martin has said is likely to rotate his squad in a busy upcoming sequence of fixtures.

Saints face Bristol City on Wednesday in the first of nine Championship games that Southampton will play in the space of 33 days.

"You look at the opposition and try to pick the best solution for that game," said Martin.

"I think we've had consistency in the team on the whole. There will probably be some changes [on Wednesday night] out of necessity because we're trying to manage people through a busy period of games between now and January.

"Some [changes] are out of physical requirement and some are trying to manage the squad in the best way possible, to keep everyone motivated, interested and hungry. We trust every player we have here.

"The last three-game weeks we've had, pretty much every player has been used - even if someone has got 10-15 minutes, every player has been on the pitch at some point. I probably don't see this one being much different."

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Former Southampton midfielder Jo Tessem believes application was lacking in the Saints' second-half performance in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Huddersfield.

Adam Armstrong gave Russell Martin's side the lead on the stroke of half-time but they were pegged back by Ben Jackson's injury time equaliser.

"We come out second-half and we don't perform", Tessem told the Goin' Home with Adam and Jo podcast.

"That is a problem, especially today. After such a good, controlled first-half where everyone does their job and everything seems easy, we lost two points there, that's all it is. The simplicity of it is you have to do your job.

"You have to run, fight and tackle. Do all those simple things, it's what you learn when you learn football as a child. That's how it is. That didn't happen against Huddersfield.

"Russell Martin set them up to do something specific and they didn't do it and that's what he's not happy with."

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