Southampton boss Russell Martin has praised his players for being bold enough to keep the faith with his attacking style of play – even through some setbacks that might have led others to allow doubts to creep in.
Martin’s had to get through a couple of difficult patches of form to keep their promotion hunt alive this year, including some heavy defeats at both ends of the season.
Play-off winning Southampton lost four games in a row in September, including conceding five to Sunderland and four at home to Leicester City, and dropped from second place in mid-February to finishing fourth after losing seven of their last 16 games of the regular season.
Russell Martin praises players' mentality in earning Premier League promotion
But the Saints turned on the style again to see off West Bromwich Albion in the play-off semi-finals before deservedly beating Leeds United in Sunday’s play-off final to secure an immediate return to the Premier League having been relegated the previous year.
Martin said after the game: “I just feel really grateful. I felt that all week really. Just felt loads of gratitude about what the players have given us, the staff, the supporters. I feel immense pride in what we've achieved, I just feel grateful. The owners for giving me the opportunity in the first place, to Jason [Wilcox], who had a good day himself yesterday [Wilcox is now at Manchester United]
“They were brave enough to give me the opportunity and hopefully, we have repaid them with a day that they'll remember forever.”
The former Swansea boss took particular satisfaction from being able to see his players enjoy the fruits of their labours as he watched his players celebrating with the play-off winners’ trophy on the balcony of Wembley.
“To watch them from the pitch to celebrate that together is, yeah, will live in me forever. As a group of players and young men, they've been incredible at what they've done and how much they've grown together in terms of spirit and togetherness.”
“So to watch them enjoy that and show the love they show for each other every day, how they've been this week, the feeling they've had and how together they are has been amazing. I hope we can keep as many of that group together as we possibly can.”
Martin went on to hail his players’ willingness to go for the jugular – an approach that does not always work, but can be scintillating to watch when it does.
“It's such a fine balance,” Martin said. “When I ask them to do the stuff they're doing on the pitch, it's not easy to show the courage they play with.
“When they do it and they make a mistake and they continue to do it, it's incredible. I'll never, ever take that for granted. Then the love you feel for them, but the balance of that and being really demanding and brutally honest with them at times is difficult in the same way as with your kids.
“I feel sometimes probably the balance is too far one way and too far the other, but I felt we found a sweet spot in the last few weeks and I think the players have been incredible.”
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