Martin delivers scathing Southampton verdict at Leicester

Leicester are a win from clinching automatic promotion after a hat-trick from Abdul Fatawu plus goals from Wilfred Ndidi and Jamie Vardy in a 5-0 home thrashing of Southampton, whose top-two hopes were effectively ended.

Speaking after the match, Martin said: "I don't know what happened. For 60 minutes, I thought we were good.

"We didn't create a huge amount, but I thought we were growing into the game.It was a good game in the first half.

"Both teams trying to get into flow with the ball, but both teams pressing aggressively. I felt we got better and better as the first half wore on. 

"We didn't play forward enough, we had chances to. In the second half, the start of it, we started so well. 

"We looked really threatening, really dominant, really good. Then we conceded a second goal against a runner player at that point. I thought we looked a real threat. 

Russell Martin was furious at full-time of the humiliating defeat (Image: PA)

"We're not ruthless enough in their final third. When we get there, we got there so many times, played through the press, but nowhere near ruthless enough."

Martin continued: "We have to score a perfect goal, which is crazy because we scored the most goals in the league before tonight.

"But then we have a fundamental problem at the back when we go 2-0 down. I did not like what I saw from our team one bit at 2-0 down. 

"Not one bit. Self-preservation, don't want to add value to your teammates, look around, body language, throw your arms up in the air.

"Really weird, we play some brilliant stuff on the ball at that point still, so they stay brave with the ball. 

"But it's pointless if you don't want to defend properly, absolutely pointless. I did not like that one bit from our team tonight and it surprised me actually.

"The players need to show a bit of love for each other, actually, and pick each other up. I'm fed up of doing that.

"They're professionals, so I'll be there for them. We'll learn from it, but it's not my job to make them feel good about tonight. 

"My job is to show them the good stuff they did, the way they play football through the press against such an aggressive press.

"They play relentlessly, but pointless if you don't really want to then go and put it in the back of the net.

"They need to feel some pain and the same pain that I'm feeling right now, and the hurt that I'm feeling.

"Ultimately, I'm the leader of that team, and that reflects on me. That's not me as a character, and that's not what I've built my own career on, is rolling over like that.

"Actually, it's pathetic it ends up 5-0. It's their job as a group to rally around each other now, and actually show some care for each other.

"Unfortunately, tonight opens that up, all of us, for criticism on the stuff that we've been criticised about after Saturday."