Slot Regrets the Dismissal of Southampton's Manager Russell Martin

Liverpool, Dec 17 (NationPress) Following a 5-0 defeat at home against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, Southampton made the decision to part ways with their manager Russell Martin, leaving the team at the bottom of the Premier League table. Ahead of his team's Carabao Cup quarterfinal match against the Saints at St Mary’s Stadium on Thursday (IST), Liverpool head coach Arne Slot characterized Martin's dismissal as a pity.

"In my opinion, it is a pity. These situations occur. Russell Martin performed admirably for Southampton last season. This season, his team has also displayed good football. We felt the challenge when we faced them, narrowly winning 3-2.

"It's always unfortunate when managers do not get the opportunity to continue. Particularly in these instances, as I believe they had a clear vision for how they wanted their teams to play. Sadly, they couldn't accumulate enough points, leading to their sacking," Slot stated during a press conference.

The 38-year-old took over Southampton in July 2023, guiding them to promotion via the playoffs in his inaugural season. However, since returning to the Premier League, Southampton has managed just one victory, securing a 1-0 win against Everton in November. Martin becomes the fourth Premier League manager to lose his position this season, following Erik ten Hag, Steve Cooper, and Gary O'Neil.

Slot, who received a yellow card in the match against Fulham on Sunday, will serve a touchline suspension for the quarterfinal clash, marking his third yellow of the season. When asked about the potential impact of his absence on the team, he responded,

"Not as much as I initially expected. In Holland, a suspension means you cannot be present in or around the dressing room and cannot engage with the media. This is a milder version of a suspension.

"I've never experienced a suspension before; this is my first time. I believe I can still perform my duties. The least impact occurs during the 45 minutes of play. The most significant impact can be made at half-time or before the match, which are opportunities I still have," Slot concluded.