Russell Martin has talked about the influence of the rumors concerning Jason Wilcox’s tenure at Southampton.
Russell Martin has addressed the rumors surrounding Jason Wilcox. The Southampton director of football, who joined the club last summer from Manchester City, has been linked with a position at Manchester United.
Wilcox, who played a significant role in building Martin’s first-team squad and was instrumental in the appointment of the former Swansea City boss, is reportedly set to be placed on gardening leave after tendering his resignation for a potential role at Old Trafford, where he is expected to have a significant impact behind the scenes at the Premier League club.
Russell Martin reacts to Wilcox’s forthcoming exit.
Martin expressed that if Wilcox were to leave, the club would extend their best wishes to him in his future endeavors. The Southampton manager acknowledged that he would be the most affected individual by the departure of the director of football, given that he was appointed by Wilcox.
“If it happens that Jason departs, as it seems likely, he leaves with the best wishes from everyone here,” stated Martin, as reported by George Rees-Julian on Twitter. “To be frank, the individual most impacted by this is me, as he was instrumental in bringing me here. Jason is a fantastic person, and I have the most interactions with him. However, this situation has not affected our performance or our ongoing objectives.”
Southampton’s dealings in the transfer market
Wilcox joined Southampton nine months ago, following their relegation from the Premier League. The summer transfer window at St. Mary’s was marked by significant activity, with notable departures including James Ward-Prowse, Roméo Lavia, and Tino Livramento.
In response, replacements were recruited, with Shea Charles and Ross Stewart both acquired for substantial fees. Additionally, players such as Ryan Manning, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, and Flynn Downes were brought in to bolster Martin’s first-team squad and enhance their chances of securing automatic promotion.
Southampton’s standing in the league
Southampton’s aspirations for automatic promotion have been diminished in recent weeks, as losses to Hull City, Bristol City, and particularly Ipswich Town have hindered their chances of securing a top-two finish.
Currently, they trail second-place Leeds United by a margin of 12 points, although Southampton has two matches in hand over their rivals.
With only eight matches remaining, Martin’s team must regain their peak performance to have any hope of closing the gap to Leeds United and Ipswich.
Their upcoming fixture sees them facing Blackburn Rovers on Saturday afternoon, with kickoff at 3 pm.
Wilcox’s exit may have significant implications for Martin’s career ahead.
Wilcox has been a strong supporter of Martin and likely played a pivotal role in appointing the 38-year-old as manager last summer.
However, with Wilcox’s impending departure, there’s uncertainty about whether his replacement will share the same enthusiasm to collaborate with Martin, potentially jeopardizing his future.
Moreover, failure to secure promotion could diminish Martin’s standing with the incoming director of football, who might prefer to select their own manager to partner with.
Martin’s remarks acknowledge that Wilcox’s departure could mark the start of the end for his managerial tenure too.