🎧 Was this a good point for the Saints?published at 19:46 30 November
19:46 30 November
The latest Goin' Home With Adam And Jo podcast has landed.
BBC Radio Solent's Adam Blackmore is joined by former Saints player Jo Tessem to debrief after a dramatic night at Amex Stadium, as Southampton drew to Brighton.
Tessem believes "any point away from home in the Premier League is a good point," - but do you agree?
Brighton 1-1 Southampton - the fans' verdictpublished at 12:40 30 November
12:40 30 November
We asked for your thoughts after Friday's Premier League game between Brighton and Southampton.
Here are some of your comments:
Brighton fans
Robert: Another frustrating Brighton performance. We need to take our chances. There is too much passing back. Even I believe the second disallowed goal was a good goal, so even more good luck for Brighton! I want to see Evan Ferguson given more playing time.
Billy: A solid first-half performance in which we should have killed the game off. The second-half performance was one of the worst I've seen this season. We massively miss Baleba! I don't know why but we always struggle against the smaller teams at home. That has to change if we want to challenge for Europe this season!
David: I never thought a team could miss one man as much as this side did with Baleba. The second half was probably the poorest I have seen them play this season. But second place in the Premier League, for a short while, is a dream come true. On this display, Southampton will not go down.
Robin: My thoughts are generally unprintable. The one that I can put out is how the defence looked far more composed once Lewis Dunk returned. One man doesn't make a team, but he surely is the glue that holds the rest together.
Southampton fans
Rich: In the first half, Saints were woeful and lucky not to be two or three goals down by half-time. They were definitely better in the second half and had more fight, but then the equaliser came from nowhere. VAR has done Saints yet again though. It has cost us eight or nine points this season already.
Anthony: Russell Martin has to go - the owners are clueless! Most of the players just turned up for the pay cheque. It doesn't matter to them if the club gets relegated, because they will have had a season in the Premier League. The honourable exceptions are Tyler Dibling and Mateus Fernandes, who will get a transfer when we get relegated.
Bob: We gave them problems and played decently. That was the worst decision I've seen in my life. We should have won, but I will take a draw against second place.
Daz: It was an OK performance - nothing spectacular. We will take a point, even though we will be relegated anyway. Dibling played well, we will be lucky to keep hold of him in the transfer window. I won't hold my breath with this result being the change we need, as I expect we will be back to our losing ways next weekend.
Martin believes players are 'creeping up with belief'published at 11:40 30 November
11:40 30 November
Southampton boss Russell Martin has been speaking to BBC Sport after his side were held to a draw at Amex Stadium: "I liked a lot of it. I think we have been better than that and not got a point. Second-half, I really liked. First-half, there was a lack of conviction and aggression in certain moments.
"They responded brilliantly. A good performance against a good team."
On the disallowed goal: "It was a good goal. We had some clarity on the decision. I have so much respect for how difficult it is for referees and assistants on the pitch. I understand why they would give it in the heat of the moment, but that's why VAR is there.
"I would understand if the ball went in to Adam [Armstrong] or it was close enough for him [the goalkeeper] to come for. He didn't motion for the ball.
"[If] we have something for offsides, do it. There's not a grey area with technology. It is either offside or it's not. If it's made in the heat of moment, you can accept it easier but it's when you have to wait so long."
On the goal which stood: "A brilliant finish. A really good move from back to front. I liked the courage. We need to keep turning the screw. If they keep giving us everything, the results will change.
"They have been creeping up with belief. We've had a difficult level of opponent. We were excellent and went toe-to-toe with a team who have gone second [in the Premier League table]."
On his words with Fabian Hurzeler at the end of the game: "The manager decided to say something about respect. I've never seen an opposition manager try to get as many players booked as that. Respect is reciprocal and mutual."
'Hopefully this is a turning point'published at 11:21 30 November
11:21 30 November
Southampton goalscorer Flynn Downes has been speaking to Sky Sports following the draw: "It is massive to come here with the form they are on [and get a result]. They are a good team. We knew it would be tough, but we will take a point."
On team-mate Tyler Dibling's form: "It is crazy. He is getting better every week. Hopefully he carries on and he'll have some career."
On scoring his first Premier League goal: "What a feeling - to do it in front of the fans [as well], they have been so good this year. Hopefully this is a turning point in our season."
Southampton midfielder Tyler Dibling has also been speaking to Sky Sports about the result: "We get another goal disallowed. I feel like we have been unlucky this season. It is another point and we need to step up from there.
"Russell [Martin] trusts to play me. It is good to get a run of games and show people what I can do."
On his confidence: "It is just how I play, no matter who I play against. I have always been like that."
Analysis: Brighton 1-1 Southamptonpublished at 22:25 29 November
22:25 29 November
Emma Smith BBC Sport journalist
This continues to be a season of struggle for Southampton, but they showed enough gumption here to avoid losing 10 consecutive top-flight away games for the first time since 1974.
Russell Martin made four changes to the side which led then lost to Liverpool, including a Premier League debut for 29-year-old goalkeeper Joe Lumley in place of Alex McCarthy, dropped after an unconvincing performance against the Reds.
Old issues remained - Lumley had to make a close-range save after just six minutes when his defence gave the ball away in their own box, while he was nearly caught out of position when Mitoma caught Sugawara unawares, only to shoot wide.
Lumley, playing his first league game since April 2023 for Reading in the third tier, badly mishit a clearance early in the second half and was lucky to escape unpunished.
But they improved after the break and were ultimately good value for a point - although given the controversial intervention of VAR, they may feel robbed of all three.
On the other hand, scorer Flynn Downes was perhaps lucky to still be on the pitch after committing several fouls for only a booking.
Brighton 1-1 Southampton - send us your thoughtspublished at 22:05 29 November
Come back to this page on Saturday to find a selection of your replies
Which teams have a 'talisman' to save them?published at 17:32 29 November
17:32 29 November
For teams down at the bottom, some have that player who can save them and others are missing that talisman.
Wolves have got Matheus Cunha. If they can really get him firing, we saw last season how important he was to the team. The goal at Fulham at the weekend was one that affected that result. If Gary O'Neil can get him back to his best, he could be their potential saviour this season.
On the other hand, I do not think Southampton have that player. They relied heavily on Adam Armstrong in the Championship for goals, but I do not think he brings the same qualities we saw last season when he was able to get a consistent run of goals. Yes, Southampton are a great possession-based team but they do not have that player that will get 20 goals.
With Ipswich, they have got Liam Delap with all his attributes and they also have Omari Hutchinson too who can contribute towards the goalscoring the team needs.
When I look at Everton, I do not see them having that talisman, that player that is going to get you the goals, but as a team they have a knowhow in the Premier League. That is so important when you are fighting at the bottom. That is what Everton collectively as a team and boss Sean Dyche know how to do.
Crystal Palace have got Jean-Phillippe Mateta, they have got Eddie Nketiah, there is Ebere Eze too if they can keep him fit, so I am not worried for them. They have got a lot of injuries which has not helped and they lost two key players in the summer, but I think they have enough. If they can get players back fit, they can go on a run again like we saw at the end of last season.
And then there is Leicester. They have only really got Jamie Vardy who is ageing but does know how to score goals in the Premier League. They are struggling and I feel out of the teams battling relegation, it is Leicester and Southampton who have not got a talisman that can save them.
Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Nicola
The answerpublished at 16:55 29 November
16:55 29 November
Earlier, we asked you who scored Southampton's first Premier League goal of the 2024-25 season.
The answer is Yukinari Sugawara, who netted in the 3-1 defeat at Brentford on 31 August.
Sutton's predictions: Brighton v Southamptonpublished at 11:34 29 November
11:34 29 November
Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against a variety of guests.
For week 13, he takes on boxer Sunny Edwards who is a Chelsea fan.
Sutton's prediction: 2-0
Southampton actually gave Liverpool a decent game on Sunday, but that defeat means they have lost 10 of their first 12 games.
I don't mind seeing Saints boss Russell Martin stick with his gameplan, and it is hard for the promoted teams anyway, but we have seen another of the sides who came up last season, Leicester City, make a managerial change this week and you have to worry for Martin if his side keep on losing.
I do have a feeling it will be defeat number 11 for Southampton this weekend, too.
Brighton got a good win at Bournemouth last time out, despite playing for half an hour with 10 men.
It won't be a rout, but the Seagulls will find a way to win.
Edwards' prediction: 2-0
Brighton play good football and are very well organised. They are a much better team than Southampton.
'My main focus is keeping Southampton in the Premier League'published at 09:56 29 November
09:56 29 November
Southampton full back Kyle Walker-Peters spoke to BBC Radio Solent about the Saints' season so far: "Everyone in the team [buys into Russell Martin's style]. Everyone in the team wants to play in this way. We trust the manager and we're fully behind him in how he wants to do things.
"We've done well against the top teams. I think our problem is that we don't show the same fearlessness against teams around us. We need to start to do that.
On his future: "It's easy - I'm a footballer, I want to play football. While I'm here, I'm enjoying playing under Russell and with my team-mates. I have only got a few months left on my contract, but my main focus is on keeping Southampton in the Premier League."
Today's trivia challengepublished at 09:01 29 November
09:01 29 November
Who scored Southampton's first Premier League goal of the 2024-25 season?
Answer will be revealed at 17:00 GMT
Martin on Brighton, showing courage and long-term planningpublished at 14:26 28 November
14:26 28 November
Southampton boss Russell Martin has been speaking to the media before Friday's Premier League game against Brighton (kick-off 20:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Midfielder Adam Lallana is out for "a couple of weeks" after suffering a hamstring injury against Liverpool, while Martin is hopeful that striker Paul Onuachu "will come through alright" after being assessed. He said: "It's not a bad injury at all which is really good news for us, just a niggle so hopefully we can manage that and he can be involved."
On the manner of the first goal conceded against Liverpool on Sunday: "It's risk and reward. It's what has got us to the Premier League, the lads' willingness to play and showing courage to play and intensity to play, but it just wasn't quite right; the detail, the timing, the way Mateus [Fernandes] received the ball, he wasn't ready to receive it and then Flynn [Downes] under real pressure there, it's just unfortunate. But I'll never criticise the players if the intention is right. I think they showed brilliant courage."
On Southampton's plans for the future: "It is a long-term plan in terms of the academy, player development, what comes through and I'm really enjoying being part of that process - but we are very early on in that process. The plan is for the owners and myself to focus on the football and I'm enjoying that and the plan hasn't deviated, despite the disappointments so far this season. We're still really trying to work hard on building the football club and giving it a really solid platform, whatever the results are."
On Brighton: "They obviously had a very good purpose at the beginning about the stadium and trying to get to the Premier League in a sustainable way. The one thing they have done is they are so clear in their strategy in their plan and what they want. The best part about that football club is their talent ID, whether it is staff, players and the model of what they want to be."
He added: "Graham [Potter] inherited a brilliant group from Chris [Hughton] and did it in his own way. Then Roberto [de Zerbi] inherited a brilliant platform and basis from Graham and now Fabian [Hurzeler] has got an incredible platform to build from with what Roberto has left and is putting his own spin on it. It's a brilliant model. They never deviate too far. It's not a surprise to me how well they are doing with the quality they have in the squad."
Brighton v Southampton: Did you know?published at 12:00 28 November
12:00 28 November
Brighton are the only team to be unbeaten when conceding the first goal in Premier League games this season (W2 D2).
Meanwhile, Southampton have gone on to lose all eight games in which they have conceded first, with only Nottingham Forest also having a 100% loss rate (2/2).
'Martin's high-risk approach is easy prey'published at 15:37 25 November
15:37 25 November
BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions.
Adam asked: What do you think Southampton have to do to survive this season? And should Russell Martin stay or go?
Phil answered: Cutting out the crazy individual errors I witnessed against Liverpool at St Mary's on Sunday would be a good start.
The unfortunate thing for Southampton is that so much of what I saw in that game was good, only to be undermined needlessly.
Yes, I do think Russell Martin needs to tweak his style of playing out from the back because it was inviting trouble from the start against Liverpool. It is all very laudable but there has to be a time and a place, especially against Liverpool.
Obviously there is attention on Martin's position and no top-flight team has ever stayed up after losing 10 of their first 12 league games, so the situation is very serious.
Will the Saints board stick or will they twist in a bid to survive?
I hope he does survive, as he did take Southampton up, but his high-risk approach is easy prey to the best Premier League teams and there has to be some pragmatism when results are so bad.
'Something has to give'published at 12:29 25 November
12:29 25 November
Former Southampton player Jo Tessem says they are not good enough at playing out from the back so "something has to give" if Saints are to survive this season in the Premier League.
The catalogue of defensive errors that led to Flynn Downes presenting Dominik Szoboszlai with the chance to score Liverpool's first goal on Sunday was the seventh time this season they have made a mistake that has contributed directly to goal.
"In the first half of the game we were trying to play possession football, in our half, when there wasn't actually any space to play it," Tessem said on Goin' Home With Adam And Jo. "Liverpool were set up to punish us. They were just waiting.
"Some of it comes down to the responsibility of the players - but Russell Martin has said it is his ideas and style, so the main responsibility lies on him. He is the one who is saying that is how we are going to play.
"We are here in the Premier League and you play to stay in the league, not to go down. If the style of play clearly isn't good enough for it - and we are clearly not good enough at it - then something has to give.
"We don't need big changes - so I'm not saying just boot the ball up long - but the possession football you have has to come from smart play that stretches the opponent.
"I don't see them creating space for one another. These are the things that make you better in the Premier League."
Southampton 2-3 Liverpool - the fans' verdictpublished at 10:14 25 November
10:14 25 November
We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Southampton and Liverpool, which the Reds won 3-2.
Here are some of your comments:
Southampton fans
Rod: Played well, again, but gifted them two goals, again. It's time for Martin to acknowledge that his desired style of play does reflect the capabilities of his team.
Duncan: I'm convinced that sacking the manager would be a disaster. There is fight in this team, there is skill and there is intelligence. We saw with our own eyes what happens when the defence just hoof the ball out - to cheers from the crowd - it comes straight back. Off to Brighton next, with hope and confidence.
Hedley: The manager must go! He employs suicidal tactics, taking ridiculous risks in and around the team's penalty box. In addition, many of the players are not nearly good enough. They wasted millions of pounds buying third rate players in the summer. They must change the manager and completely change their style of play, or else relegation is certain!
Tom: Well Russell, pride comes before a fall. Unfortunately your refusal to change and adapt your style in the Premier League is getting us relegated. The same interview every week by him. Thanks for getting us promoted but it's time for a change.
Liverpool fans
Sean: Found a way to win again despite not being at our best. Great team spirit goes a long way in a title charge.
Zahid: I'm not exactly sure we were dominant but we were certainly doing well. Salah's performance showed why FSG need to agree a new deal with him. We were caught on the counter-attack and the other goal was a penalty that should never have been. But, I'm pretty satisfied with the game and hope we can get wins against Real Madrid and Manchester City.
Barry: Before the game I thought this was going to be a tough game considering what happened at the Eitihad and the underlying pressure that brings. The difference is we battled back to a deserved victory and got the job done. I'm really confident about next weekend now. Only downside was Darwin was non existent for me (again).
Trevor: The Reds still like to go behind and then come back to win. Not good enough when the manager every week says we lack the intensity in the first half. A required win rather than a good one. Well done, Saints. Not good enough, Reds. You are getting away with it at the moment - results and table flatters.
Catch up on the Premier League actionpublished at 07:49 25 November
07:49 25 November
Jason Mohammad presents highlights and analysis from Sunday's two Premier League fixtures, plus the best of the action from the rest of the weekend.
🎧'Something needs to change, and you can't sack the players'published at 19:25 24 November
19:25 24 November
A new episode of Goin' Home With Adam And Jo is now available to download and listen to on BBC Sounds.
BBC Radio Solent's Adam Blackmore is joined by former Saints stiker Jo Tessem who came out of the international break fired up and wondering if Steve Cooper's sacking by Leicester might start a domino effect.
"Something needs to change, and you can't sack the players," he said after Sunday's dramatic 3-2 home defeat to Liverpool.