Southampton were beaten at Manchester City, as most people expected.
They are bottom of the Premier League, with a single point from their first nine games of the season.
Manager Russell Martin is under pressure, despite guiding Saints back to the top flight only five months ago.
But a strange thing happened at Etihad Stadium.
Speaking to the media after Saturday’s match, both managers heaped praise on the beaten team.
It was not so much that they were unlucky to lose. If Erling Haaland had a better day, he would have scored more than just the fifth-minute match-winner.
Manchester City beat Southampton in an open game – not just because they found a way through a blanket defence.
Towards the end of the first half, the visitors had the majority of possession. It was down to 42.3% by the end. As a guide, City’s previous two opponents, Sparta Prague and Wolves, have had 20.1% and 22.4% respectively.
If Southampton are to go down, or Martin is to lose his job, it will be by committing to a gameplan he believes in.
“I took the job [at MK Dons] nearly five years ago, with the club in the League One relegation zone and the chairman saying he didn’t care if they got relegated if he could see something he believed in and could be proud of,” said Martin.
“There have been some moments of real difficulty at MK and Swansea and here, where you get questioned and have to make a big decision.
“But if I end up losing my job at some point, which is inevitable, at least I can say I have stuck to what I want to be, as a person first, then a leader and then as a manager.
“To get to the Premier League and then change would be illogical. I cannot stand on the sidelines watching something I don’t feel connected with or love. I don’t see the point in that.”
That requires Southampton’s players to have courage to take the ball in tight areas, carry on passing when the pressure is at its greatest and not allow poor results or adversity to change that mindset.
Guardiola and Foden praise Martin
The circumstances are significantly different – given the size of the club he was going into, and the knowledge he could call on generational talents in Xavi and Andres Iniesta, and the man he regards as the greatest ever in Lionel Messi – but Pep Guardiola needed to do something similar when he was given the Barcelona job, aged 37 – a year younger than Martin is now.
Now revered as one of the greatest managers in history, Guardiola appreciates what Martin is doing and even feels there are aspects of Southampton’s play he can learn from.
“We were not sloppy, we were not flat, but we struggled to regain the ball because they are really good,” said the City boss.
“I’m a spectator. I prefer the players to get the ball to feet, not the teeth.
“When I see the opponent do the things I like to do with my team and they do it really well, I make a compliment.
“I’m sure I will learn, there were some movements, the reasons why they do things, the movements they make to link to the striker. It’s not easy.”
He added on Sky Sports: “It’s a good game to learn as a manager. I am going to learn a lot with Russell because they did really well.”
Guardiola did not just praise Martin to the media, he also spoke to the Saints boss straight after the final whistle – and Martin revealed City and England playmaker Phil Foden had also done so.
“They felt we were really brave with the ball and did stuff not many teams do,” said Martin.
“It is not easy to play that way but he probably understands it more than anyone.
“I have seen so many teams promoted and get nowhere. If we lose I can accept it when the lads show a level of courage like they did today. If they do that here they can do it anywhere.
“I will live and die by the sword for what I believe in. If we keep playing like we did today we will have some fun and be all right.”
Fun might be an extreme way of describing Southampton’s current predicament.
Pressure can scramble the mind and – after throwing away a victory against Ipswich in injury time and losing a two-goal lead in the final half-hour against Leicester – the forthcoming games against Everton and Wolves look huge for Martin and his side’s survival hopes.
If the former Scotland international can really have fun in games like that, he deserves all the success that comes his way.
