Southampton have reportedly made a decision regarding the future of head coach Russell Martin.
The Saints' struggles in the top flight continued on Saturday afternoon, when the South-coast club suffered a one-goal defeat at Aston Villa.
Southampton went behind in the Second City contest after 24 minutes due to Jhon Duran's composed finish, and the visitors were unable to fight back for at least a point.
After 15 matches of the top-flight term, Martin's men are sitting rock bottom of the Premier League standings, eight points behind 17th-placed Crystal Palace.
The Saints have scored the fewest number of goals in the division (11), while also conceding the most (31), meaning that there are several areas requiring serious improvement.
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Southampton make Martin sack decision?
According to Football Insider, Southampton have made a key decision regarding the future of under-pressure coach Martin following the weekend's result.
The report claims that the Saints' hierarchy are planning to keep faith in the 38-year-old, who is one of the youngest managers in the division.
It is understood that the powers-that-be are in "no rush" to part ways with Martin and would like to see how the team progresses over the festive period.
This school of thought is on the contrary to the minds of many supporters, who were baying for the blood of the Scotsman in a managerial sense.
Southampton will be looking for their second victory of the Premier League term on Sunday night, when out-of-form Tottenham Hotspur visit St Mary's.
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Martin's Southampton journey
Impressing across a two-year stint at Swansea City in the Championship, Martin was presented with the opportunity to take the reins at Southampton during the summer of 2023.
After a decade in the Premier League, relegation hit the Saints hard, with the 38-year-old tasked with guiding the club back to the promised land at the first attempt.
Martin managed the feat via the playoffs operating with a possession-based style, however his side are failing to pick up enough points in the top flight with the same tactics.