Finances a factor for Southampton to consider in Martin call

Saints entered the season already up against Premier League Profit and Sustainability Rules after major losses off the back of relegation.

Saints recorded a pre-tax loss of £87million for the year up to June 2023, having filed smaller losses of £6m and £13.7m in previous years.

The finances for last season will not be filed until the end of the current tax year, in spring 2025, but will include the loss of top-flight TV revenue.

Broadly speaking, when a Premier League team tots up their accounts, they can have made a loss no greater than £105m across the previous three seasons.

The club have worked hard to balance the books and get finances back on track, including steadying salaries and increasing revenue streams.

It was revealed at the BBC Radio Solent fans' forum earlier this summer that Saints have reduced from 440 staff to just 280 in a bid to run more efficiently. 

They have turned the stadium from a match day operation to a potential money-spinner with concerts, new hospitality lounges and 'The Dell' pub coming in December.

During the 2022/23 season, approximately a staggering £14.6m in costs were incurred in changing managers twice - and did not prevent relegation.

The disastrous - and expensive - Nathan Jones appointment came under Sport Republic's stewardship (Image: PA)

Ralph Hasenhuttl was replaced by Nathan Jones, who brought with him coaches Alan Sheehan and Chris Cohen, before he was sacked and Ruben Selles was hired.

One source estimated prematurely releasing Martin and his staff and replacing him with a new boss could cost up to £12m this season.

Up to 50 per cent of that would be paying up terminated staff contracts while any new hire could require a transfer fee - and then add their new wages.

The suggestion is that - if you are going to make that kind of financial decision - you need to be sure it is the right one, and can have a positive impact.

Although they would never admit it - quite rightly - Saints chiefs are probably well aware of the possibility of relegation regardless of what changes are made.

They will likely also consider whether, in the worst-case scenario, Martin might be the best candidate to bring Saints back up anyway.

He would be able to call on the experience of already earning promotion in his first season at the club and benefit from the additional year of learning.

Keeping Martin through the whole season would require some nerve from the club's decision-makers if pressure was to be sustained. 

Such a move would be fairly unorthodox, although some might draw a new comparison to relegated Burnley and Vincent Kompany last season.

It would be ironic, considering that Martin has treated comparisons between Saints and Burnley regularly made by national reporters with contempt.

Kompany remained with the Clarets until the bitter end, before Bayern Munich paid £10m to hire him - a move Martin joked would not happen for him.

Saints are starting to see some fruits of their summer transfer work with back-to-back league goals from £15million striker Cameron Archer.

Sporting midfielder Mateus Fernandes also set Saints back just £15million and the Portuguese youth international looks a snip at that price.

Yukinari Sugawara is a ready-made Kyle Walker-Peters replacement who should still get better at 24 years old and cost just £6million.

Aaron Ramsdale (costing up to £25million), Taylor Harwood-Bellis (£20million) and Flynn Downes (£18million) are part of Martin's English squad core.

Ben Brereton Diaz at £7million is probably the only real financial miss on current performances - but that is with hindsight, nobody felt that before.

Adam Lallana, Charlie Taylor, Ryan Fraser, Lesley Ugochukwu and Maxwel Cornet have cost the club very little - mainly just wages - to add squad depth.

Nathan Wood and Ronnie Edwards were signed cheaply for the future but pose the point - how many of the last seven were necessary, given the squad size?

Should Saints have gone for 'quality over quantity'? It is hard to argue with that. Is it as simple as that, though? They expected more to be sold.

Many cited Martin’s style of management as a key factor in their decision to join Saints, while emerging star Tyler Dibling has labelled him ‘a second Dad’.

Russell Martin celebrates promotion after the play-off final at Wembley

Saints have a squad that is still gelling and should get better this year. If it does not improve enough, they already have key components for next season.

It is hard to imagine the likes of Ramsdale staying for a Championship campaign but some of the others could be best in class at that level.

Martin will be desperate to avoid finding out who. For him, the focus is firmly on stopping the rot and landing the club's crucial first win.

For now, the Daily Echo understands no managerial change is imminent and Martin is set to take his team to champions Manchester City on Saturday.

There are no expectations of a result but the club's bosses will be gauging player interest and belief to assess whether the squad remain behind Martin.

Crucial clashes with relegation rivals Everton and Wolves follow and are more likely to be definitive, should they also fail to put points on the board.

But while the fanbase is currently split, with many suggesting last season's hero needs more time, further losses would mean patience soon dissipates. 

Saints have earned just one Premier League point this season but Martin's side won promotion from the Championship only nine competitive games ago.

Despite sitting 19th and only being propped up off the bottom by Wolves, expected points data continues to paint Saints as a little unfortunate.

Opta stats say that Saints should have at least seven points and out of the bottom three based on their performance data and the game situations they have been in.

It is only because they have continually found new and inventive ways to lose that Saints are still hunting a first win of their Premier League return.

It would be preferable for everyone if Martin could turn the team's fortunes around and produce a side competitive enough to fight against the drop.