Former top flight defender Scott Minto has warned that Southampton may be in for some big beatings in the Premier League if they continue to play the way they currently are.
Saints boss Russell Martin is sticking to his approach and philosophy in the Premier League after having guided the side to promotion last season.
They went down to a 3-1 loss away at Brentford on Saturday which now means they have lost their opening three games back in the top flight.
Saints have Manchester United at home after the international break and Minto fears for the side if they keep playing the way Martin wants them to.
He stressed that in the Championship, Southampton were not punished for losing possession anywhere near as much as they will be in the Premier League.
“I would love to be wrong and for Russell Martin to keep this style of play and to do what Vincent Kompany couldn’t do with Burnley last season, but it’s a big jump”, Minto said post match on talkSPORT’s GameDay Live.
“They had a bad start in the Championship last season, but this is the Premier League.
“This is a massive jump up and where you can get away with giving the ball away and Championship strikers will score one in five or one in six chances, here it’s one in two.
“You cannot afford to do that.
“Between the boxes they were very good and you can see that Russell Martin is an excellent coach, but you are asking players who were Championship players last season or new players coming in to do something that they are not 100 per cent comfortable with.
“And with the greatest of respect for Brentford, this is Brentford, and they are going to get hit for a lot more with bigger teams.”
Southampton have won once this season, against Cardiff City in the EFL Cup, but they conceded three times against the Bluebirds in the process.
