Every word Southampton's Martin said ahead of Coventry City

How's the team? How's the squad, fitness-wise and everything? Have you got Stuart Armstrong back?

RM: Yeah, Stuart's back in the squad. Yeah, and James Bree, obviously.

That's a really good thing. There's going to be maybe one or two left out of the squad that will be difficult, for sure. But everyone is fit.

Everyone is firing and we definitely need a reaction after Saturday.

You were happy with the clean sheet Saturday. What have you looked at since that you think you could unlock a bit more at the other end of the pitch?

RM: Yeah, it's the only thing I'm happy about. I'm not happy with the performance one bit.

So, we'll be clear with the players what we think is the problem on Saturday. I'm happy with the clean sheet.

I'm happy with the willingness to defend the box and the mentality, which was much better, which we asked. But I'm not happy with much else about the performance, to be honest.

How do you get those partnerships and relationships right while you keep having to rotate the team to keep everyone fit?

RM: Yeah, I think when we were 25 unbeaten, we made a change or two to the team.

It didn't really disrupt things that much because we were in flow at the minute. We're not quite in that flow. So, then every change you make or every tweak you make is questioned.

When you win, people don't question things because the game is so outcome-based. But it's up to us to look beyond that and now try and prepare and get real good momentum for the playoffs. It's really that simple.

We'll try and win seven games and see where that takes us. But now everyone is playing to make sure they are part of the best team that is capable of getting us to the Premier League. It's really that simple and we can't pretend anything else.

So, people will get opportunities to show what they can do. You have to earn the opportunity, for sure. But at this minute in time, there isn't a best team because we haven't won enough games.

So, yeah, it's really that simple. The lads need to be desperate to be in the team, desperate to get to the Premier League, desperate to stay in the team, desperate to push the players when they're not in the team. And, yeah, the ones who are desperate will be the ones that end up playing.

Is there a reason for losing a bit of flow or is that just the ups and downs of the season?

RM: I don't think so. Middlesbrough missed two chances from six yards out and we should win 3 or 4-0 and then no-one talks about rhythm.

It switched for 65 minutes, so much rhythm. Incredible performance. Rhythm is dictated by how much you want to run is my feeling on it.

And you find rhythm by sacrificing yourself for the team, by running to free someone else up. At the minute, as a group, we don't run enough. It's really simple.

Is that tiredness?

RM: No, it's not. It's my fault if I can't convince them to run enough. But if we don't run enough, there's a big problem.

The other factor is that we had a three-week break, was it possibly too long?

RM: If it's three weeks with a group together, it's brilliant.

But it was a week with a group together, three days of training and then everyone went off to internationals and all that stuff. But it's not an excuse.

We came back and we should win against Middlesbrough. We conceded a goal in the 90th minute or whatever.

How we took one point out of Middlesbrough and Ipswich is beyond me. So, there's not a huge problem with performance. There's a problem with the last bit and I said that to you.

The difference between us and Ipswich was Ipswich's desperation to fight and defend their box and defend their goal. And when they got near to our goal, all in, all in. And we're not all in enough at the moment.

And when we were, you saw the results that happened in that period we were in, that moment we were in.

Now we're fortunate we have four weeks to get back into that period. I want to get back into it as quickly as possible and we're really clear on what we need to do to get there.

Now it's our job to convince the players that they need to do the same. So, we have a really strong foundation, the way that we play.

And if you play any way, whether you go direct, whether you play out, whether you are a transitional team, the most important bit is being willing to run for each other.

I don't care what anyone else says about styles and all that stuff.

So, we have to get back to running really, really hard for each other and playing with way more energy than we did on Saturday. And if we do that, everything is still there for us.

The club we walked into compared to now, is completely different.

This is not disrespectful to anyone, but to have three managers in a year to be relegated, there's a certain level of being broken or fractured. The healing takes a bit of time.

We're in a place now where the players are in a completely different spirit to where they were. And they have to go to the next step, we all do.

Because otherwise, ultimately, if you don't achieve what you want to achieve, of course, it still leaves a bit of pain and a few question marks on what you are doing.

When you win, no one questions anything. So, if we win four games, we're not talking about Jack's (Stephens) role in the team, but we haven't so it leaves everyone open to question, myself included.

We have to start winning, and we have to win in the most important games. We have to find a way to do that and a team to do that.

For the next four weeks, there may be some changes, there may be some tweaks, but it's all about finding a team that can win and see us through in the really, really big moments. We have a good opportunity on paper.

As difficult as the games are, to have three games at home in a row gives you a chance to build that momentum.

The whole place when we went to Ipswich, everyone was all in. You now have three games in a row at St Mary’s for the same thing? 

RM: Our fans have been incredible. The frustration in the last few games, I understand. So, it's not a criticism of anyone.

But I think more than ever, we need to come together now. As I said, even the relationship between the supporters and their team at the start of the season was not what it is now.

But there are still going to be some setbacks and there still are going to be some difficult moments. Now more than ever, the team needs them.

The fans need the team to show energy and spirit and fight more than ever. The team has such strong foundation with the identity and the way they play. 

They're the bravest players every single game with the risk they take, or perceived risk, but the courage it takes to play the way we play.

But you have to match that courage with aggression and intensity. And when you bring both, we've had some brilliant moments this season. At home, away, with the supporters.

So, now more than ever, we have four weeks left of the season. Hopefully, seven weeks for the playoffs. I was at Wembley yesterday, watching the EFL Trophy Final.

Two of my former clubs played and I took my kids. More than ever, I want a special day there in seven weeks, if that's what it's going to take.

If we end up doing it before then, because we've been miraculous and other teams have failed, then brilliant. But more than ever, I want that.

And the supporters should want that. And it's still there for us. So, I understand the frustration and disappointment right now. I'm feeling it. The players are feeling it.

The supporters are feeling it. But the end goal is still there. And the way the team plays is so clear.

And if I leave in a year, two years, whenever it is, this club is going to embark on that journey. Because it's not going to go for a year.

We're going to play this way and then stay the same after that. It's now there. It's now set. So, let's keep building on that. The foundations are really strong. But let's make it even stronger.

The connection between the whole club will really show itself when you have a difficult moment. At the moment, we're all annoyed and we're frustrated.

We have an opportunity to put it right on the pitch tomorrow to support the players and to feel much better about ourselves.

And three home games could be a massive week for us. If we come out of that with three wins, three good performances, all of a sudden everything feels so different.

Now it's about building momentum and showing we are desperate to get to the Premier League.

Coventry City are probably one of the harder teams to face at the moment? 

RM: Yes, I love Mark (Robins) and Ad Viveash and how they've been with us at games.

We've always had good games against them, back in League One with MK Dons. They've grown the club and also their club stuck with them through some tough moments.

They were bottom of the league last year for quite some time and got to the playoff final. Because they have strong foundations and a way of doing things.

The players believe in what they're doing. And they play with so much energy. They recruit brilliantly for their club. They go and find people every single season.

They sell players on but they have real clarity in what they're doing. There is so much strength in that clarity and togetherness.

So yes, it's a tough game. They've done a brilliant job yet again. They're pushing to get into the playoffs to get to the Premier League again.

So I don't think you can underestimate the job they've done and how tough the game is. But it's also an exciting game for us. And I hope that they feel the same way.

It's going to be a tough game coming to St Mary's and playing against us right now. Because we are feeling hurt and frustrated and wounded. We need to react in the right way.

Have you had some frank conversations with your players this week?

RM: We always have frank conversations with the players, whether we're winning or losing.

I think as a group it's just always honest. Always really honest and always really clear on what's hurt us or what's been brilliant for us.

So that doesn't change one bit whether we win, lose or draw.

You mentioned a lack of desire to run. Why do you think that's happened?

RM: No, I don't think it's a lack of desire.

We need to show real desire. We ran hard on Saturday, we fought hard. That's why we kept the clean sheet away from home. That's why we had 70 per cent of the ball.

You can't do that if you're not willing to run. But I'm talking about in the last moments when you have to run and not get the ball, knowing that you're freeing someone else up. 

And that, at the moment, is not quite where it was. I think if we have an easy option to take, to come to feet rather than run behind, we take it at the moment. And it's not us.

How do you put that willingness, that fight back into your players?

RM: By showing the same for us. That we're willing to fight for them.

To give everything for them and also keep showing them stuff. We have to step up to do it. It's my fault if they're not willing to do that enough.

Have you given up on automatic promotion? 

RM: I have to prepare the players in the right way. The most realistic option right now is to win the playoffs.

It's that simple. But also we have seven games to win before then. To go into the playoffs with real momentum. If we win seven games, it might be enough.

But we are going to have to win seven games because of the season and the quality of the teams above us right now. So we want to win every game.

This game, Coventry, is the most important one. We can't look beyond that. But also the players have to have in the back of their mind that they want to be part of that.

Because you have a chance to have a special day. I've done it in both ways as a player. I got promoted automatically.

I have been promoted via the playoffs. Both require the same mentality. Both require to play each game as it's the most important one.

So we are all focused on Coventry. But I can't come out and say to you, Oh no, all eyes on automatic. Of course, we have to be ready for that.

And the players have to be ready for that as well. And the supporters. So the playoffs can be an amazing way to do it.

When you have that day. And as I said, I've had that. But we need to be ready for whatever comes.

And that is only by dealing with Coventry tomorrow. It's really simple. And then we can focus on the next one.

And then the next one after that. It's been the process all the way through. So that won't change.