Every word Martin: Fitness boost, Southampton direction and Boro

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“Flynn (Downes) is fine and will be back in the squad which is brilliant. Janny B got on the pitch on Tuesday and was fine so he’s ready to go, which is great.

“Ross (Stewart) is doing really nicely but nothing has really changed from what I told you guys a week or so ago. We’re probably looking at after this block of games and the next international break, but he’s coming along nicely, really integrating with the group, and has great energy.

“Jack (Stephens) has been a huge loss to us, not just on the pitch but he is the one player with a real voice, really demanding of people but in a nice way. 

“He’s been a big loss for us and the quicker he can get back on the pitch, the better. The quicker he can back on the training pitch, the better, also.

“It’s been a slow process with the first few weeks of the injury he has had, but he is still playing a really important part in the background.

“It’s just not as big a part as we or he would like. He’s made good progress in the last week, but we don’t expect him anytime in this block of games either.

"We will assess it as it goes but he is probably still a way off I would have thought. The quicker we can get him back, the better."

What is the mood in the camp like after three straight defeats?

"Everyone’s frustrated, and everyone is desperate to get back on track. If you are here and you know us and understand how we work, we never get too high, we never get too low after results.

"I can’t really focus on the performance and the stuff that was good the other night and the stuff that hurt us. The stuff over the last three games, we have to do better.

"You analyse it, you learn from it and then we will practice relentlessly what we need to practice to put in a better performance at Middlesbrough.

"Obviously, because of the turnaround in games, a lot of that is in the video room individually and in the units within the team.

"We are learning about the group all the time and they will learn about each other. They are learning about us, what we expect, and what we want.

"The frustration that everyone feels is good energy for us to have so I have been really happy with the couple of days we’ve had since the game in terms of information that we have been able to get in.

"I think we will get through this period and when we do, we will be better for it, that’s for sure."

What is your take on Middlesbrough?

"They have lost some key players from last season. They have been really unfortunate. They should have more points. I am sure Michael (Carrick) is sitting there wondering how they haven’t got a win yet or more points on the board because some of the performances have been really good.

"I really like the way they play. I admired what he did last season. I think he was fantastic. He took them from where they were to how they ended up.

"The last three or four games have been interesting, different types of games but teams who want to try and dominate the ball as well.

"I am sure that they are feeling frustrated in the build-up, a bit wounded, the same way that we are so it makes for an interesting game. I think it’s a good test for us.

"We must try and make sure that they come out of it without a win still. I am sure that they are feeling their own angst about that, but I admire the work he has done. I like a lot of what they do. It’s the Championship, there is no easy game."

Upside on Flynn Downes and Will Smallbone being in the team together?

"I’m not sure they have been in the same team too much. They did not play together in the same team on Tuesday night. It’s been one game, hasn’t it?

"I think that they are very different. When you have lost a couple of games people can see it how they want to see it and assess it how they want to assess it. I would never put it down to a certain partnership or to one player.

"Ultimately it is my fault we have lost three games. We have not been able to give the players enough courage to overcome the disappointment. We have been fine in games until we have a moment of disappointment.

"With Sunderland obviously, the disappointment happened so early and we couldn’t overcome it. With Leicester, again, really early and we actually dealt quite well with that. We got back in the game and then the third goal was another bit of a disappointment. We didn’t do well enough with that. With Ipswich, we had three or four not big chances but good openings in the first 20 minutes.

"We don’t make enough of them and then the first bit of disappointment, the energy totally changes in the ground with the players, and it is my job to find a way to deal with that.

"I went to watch Brighton with my son last night and they had a moment of disappointment when they went 1-0 down and the gameplan stayed exactly the same. The energy stays exactly the same. They make a few mistakes, but it stays exactly the same.

"We are not quite at that place yet because of the scar tissue here, whatever has happened at the club previously.  

"I’m not passing excuses because we need to work to find a way through it but there’s been a lack of cohesion at this club.

"There’s been a lack of togetherness with the supporters, a lack of connection here at the training ground – and our job is to bring it back.

"I’m doing it while implementing a different style and a completely different way of behaving, so I’m hoping now we can find a connection by being honest with you and with the players.

"We need to build energy and momentum. Ipswich has that and it’s carrying them through to a really good place, we don’t have that but we will find it.

"People will see a team that is functioning well and when we find that rhythm, people will start to trust the work we’re doing, and the players trust it because they can feel it.

"It will be a totally different place and hopefully, we’ll then build some momentum, build some spirit, and build some energy that is different to what has happened here.

"There is definitely a hangover and probably a bigger one than I thought initially. It’s a brilliant challenge and I am more excited about it than ever.

"It is up to us to make sure that we come out of this quickly and very well."

Have you thought about changing the style of play and becoming more pragmatic?

"You could argue that we were more pragmatic against Ipswich because we were quite solid. We limited them to very little.

"We didn’t create enough of our own, but we had the biggest chance of the game with Che (Adams).

"We’ve conceded the first goal in the three games. That then changes the game completely. We have not played quickly enough. We haven’t played with enough intensity with the ball.

"It is because the mentality changes when we have a bit of disappointment. The energy in the stadium, the players and we have to find a way to work through that.

"When we score first, we win and we have not done that in the last three games. It has made it really tough for us, so we have to stop that but if we come across that, we have to stick to the gameplan.

"There are reasons why we have not had the same energy or zip with the ball. The anxiety means people then start running out of position.

"Position is so important for us in the way that we are going to play to move the ball quickly, to dominate the ball, to move opponents.

"Out of anxiety, the players sometimes feel that they need to run around and do more but in some moments, less is more.

"It is our job to make them understand that even better and the players are getting an understanding of that and what is required.

"I am really excited about what is to come. I am really looking forward to it. It is a brilliant challenge. You find out so much about people and yourself in these moments.

"We have had these moments at every club that we’ve been at so far and we have always come through them and been better for them.

"It just happens that this one is happening fairly early on. It is such a long season, we’re seven games in.

"We are going to tweak, and we are going to try new things but we have been brought here for a reason.

"That is to give the club something to buy into and energise everyone and bring people together. I want the supporters to enjoy watching their team which they probably haven’t in the last three games. I understand that.

"But to also understand what it takes for the players to play this way, the mentality, the courage to play this way and it’s up to us to give them more moments that we have done the last three games to build that togetherness and connection. And we will. 

"It is what we have done at the last two clubs we have been at. It is why we are here now. We will flex and adapt but without losing what the club wants to be.

"The club has embarked on a journey now. It is a clean slate. There are so many new people, me, Phil (Parsons), Jason (Wilcox).

"Jason has been incredible with the support that he has given us over the last week. We sit and talk football for hours about the team, what it needs, the problems and it’s great to have that support.

"The owners have been great and at some point, you make a decision to go this way then you have to be brave and see it through. You have to stick with it because otherwise it’s pointless, you just jump from one thing to the other and hope that you land on something.

"The club has decided that this is the way that we are going to go. They appoint a young manager to try and build a connection with the players and to play in a certain way.

"I think they understood that there were going to be some sticky moments. We are all in on being here. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have left a club that we were so happy at, we are all in on it and I think everyone is.

"When we ride through this moment, it will be brilliant."

What level can Sam Edozie get to?

"Sam has a huge amount of potential. He is another player who has been really affected by the last six months in particular with not being in squads.

"We are just trying to build him back up to a place where he can trust us and we just want him to be the best version of himself that he can be.

"He is slowly opening up like the rest of the players are. You come in and there is a little bit of a guard-up because they are waiting to see how much they can trust you and how consistent you are going to be with your behaviour.

"I think he enjoys what we are asking him to do because it is fairly similar to his upbringing at Manchester City, although there are always going to be differences.

"There is a lot that we can improve on with Sam as there is with every player, especially young players, and with him, it is about understanding the level it takes physically, and the consistency required, but he is an outstanding young player.

"When we keep peeling back the layers in terms of his personality, he can open up and be himself then he is going to be a really special player. A really exciting player for this football club for quite a long time hopefully.

"There are so many of them like that. We have a fairly young group which is probably another reason why we are here because we are used to that.

"We have really enjoyed and a had a good record of developing young people. Sam is one of a number of them and it is our job to bring the real them out on the pitch and off it."