Russell Martin has been warned that if he is unwilling to consider a plan B then every side Southampton come up against in the Premier League will already have their number.
Saints managed to get back to the Premier League last season through the playoffs in the Championship, edging Leeds United out in the final.
Pressure is starting to grow on Martin after Southampton’s poor start to the season, which continued with a 3-0 loss at home against Manchester United on Saturday.
Southampton have scored just one goal across their four top flight games, in a 3-1 loss at Brentford, but Martin has insisted he will not waver from his approach to the game.
Martin is keen to stick to his philosophy, but his view is increasingly coming under the microscope.
Former Southampton star Perry Groves believes that Martin simply must have a plan B otherwise all the teams Saints play will know exactly what to expect.
“If you’re not going to change then every team playing against you knows exactly how you are going to play”, Groves said on talkSPORT’s Sunday Session.
“They know when you are playing out from the back with [Jack] Stephens and [Jan] Bednarek going into midfield, you know they are going to make mistakes eventually and give you a chance.
“As a coach you have to change. You have to have a plan B.”
Southampton’s next two Premier League games come against Ipswich Town and Bournemouth, and if Saints are still without points then heading towards a meeting with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, the pressure on Martin could be intense.
