FORMER Saints manager Russell Martin has claimed his Premier League squad was weaker than that which won Championship promotion.

Saints spent over £100million in the summer window after winning the play-off final at Wembley but Martin believes the squad did not improve.

He lost Stuart Armstrong and Che Adams to free transfers at the end of their deals, while loanee David Brooks also returned to AFC Bournemouth.

In their places, Saints signed the likes of Mateus Fernandes, Cameron Archer, Maxwel Cornet and Ben Brereton Diaz - two of whom have already left.

Saints also signed the impressive Aaron Ramsdale in goal, but had to spend £38m to make Flynn Downes and Taylor Harwood-Bellis permanent. 

"I love them boys so I will never do them a disservice, but..." said Martin, speaking to the Rest is Football Podcast. 

"I think our squad was weaker in the Premier League than it was in the Championship. We lost some really key players and that was a problem for us."

Martin also opened up on his final moments as manager, during the dismal 5-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at St Mary's in December.

The promotion winner admitted to telling the players he expected to be sacked at half-time of the match, and asking them for some pride. 

"I signed a new contract in the summer and we had something tangible to fall back on with our style of play," explained Martin. 

"We were delivering a lot as a group without getting results and we were getting better, but it came off the back of a tough result against Spurs.

"It was my fault, I felt Spurs were in a place where they could go one way or another but they went the other way on the night. 

"I knew it was coming. I felt it a couple of weeks before and I said to the lads at Spurs, we're 5-0 down at half time.

"I went in at 4-0 down thinking the time was done, but it was another minute and I needed to go to the toilet and compose myself before doing a team talk.

"My assistant walked in and went it's five, and I thought he was joking. I walked in and said to the lads, listen, I'm getting sacked tonight. 

"If it was me and the owners, I would look at that performance and think, okay, we're at the end of the line, really, we are at the end of the journey. 

"So I said for 45 minutes, please don't end it in a nine or 10 or whatever, it can't be like that. I feel too much pride in and love for you for that.

"I hope you can reciprocate that for the next 45 minutes and actually dig in and defend. It was an out of body experience watching the second half.

"It was the surrealist experience, I felt so detached from it. I knew what was coming. I was just trying to prepare myself."