Russell Martin feels Southampton have another gear to find at St Mary’s after his side drew 0-0 at West Brom in a cagey Championship play-off semi-final first leg.
Both teams were indebted to their goalkeepers for keeping the game level as Alex Palmer made an excellent reaction save with his feet to keep out Saints substitute Ross Stewart’s deflected effort and Alex McCarthy also made fine stops either side of the break to twice deny Baggies attacker Grady Diangana.
And despite feeling his side’s performance at the Hawthorns was far from perfect, Saints boss Martin feels they are well-placed to secure a spot in the final.
“We can play a lot better than that,” he said.
“It was hot, the pitch got stickier as the game went on because of the heat.
“It’s delicately poised. We have to win a game at home to get to Wembley.
“For us to avoid any real damage ahead of the home leg is important. We came to try and win but there’s some stuff we can definitely do a lot better and that’s the exciting thing for us.
“We definitely have another gear or two to click through with the ball.
“On the whole I’m fairly satisfied. Hopefully we’ll have Che (Adams) back. Any team is going to miss him.
“We need to prioritise what we really need to work on and cross our fingers and pray we’ve worked on the right things. There’s a lot of work to do.
“To get through a game in these conditions, I’m proud of them for that.”
West Brom boss Carlos Corberan believes his side has a great chance of playing at Wembley, where he suffered play-off final heartbreak with Huddersfield two seasons previously.
Corberan said: “It was very equal, very balanced, it was a very tough game, as you expect when four teams are fighting to go to the Premier League.
“Both teams created similar chances. It was a very equal game.
“We have four days to rest. Normally you have 15 minutes to prepare for the second half, we need to use the time to prepare the best way we can.
“I like how the team competed. We didn’t lose against Southampton in 90 minutes for the first time this season, it’s a positive step.
“We have a massive opportunity in front of us to go to Wembley.
“Now we need to analyse the details to improve and use our opportunities better and to use set pieces better because we had so many but we couldn’t score a goal.
“The challenge in the second leg is probably the strongest one we’ve faced all season. We need to use our past experiences to be mentally ready.”
Let's start our Daily Laugh today. Max Dowman : look and learn Gabi Arsenal 2 Champions Mikel Merino : Me again When Gabriel met Gyokeres YOU CAN CHANGE THE MAN BUT NOT THE IDEA This Rashford Please stay tuned on Daily Laugh. There will be more fun tomorrow!(Credit: Justtoonit, NoContextChe1, FootballLaughss)...
The 24-year-old has been locked in talks with the North London club over a new deal with his current contract set to expire in the summer of 2027.Several reports have suggested that Real Madrid are keeping tabs on the situation as they seek to bolster their aging and injury-prone backline.When asked about his future and whether he will be signing a new deal at the Emirates, Saliba gave a positive ...
Bayern Munich have agreed to a €75 million ($88 million) deal to sign winger Luis Diaz from Liverpool, sources told ESPN.Diaz missed Liverpool's friendly defeat against AC Milan on Saturday due to ongoing speculation linking him with a move away from Anfield this summer and has now been granted permission to leave the Reds' preseason tour of Asia.Sources told ESPN that Diaz first signaled a ...
The Champions League winners have been in talks with Donnarumma, 26, over a new deal for the past few months but are growing frustrated with the lack of progress.Donnarumma will enter into the final year of his contract with PSG in 2025-26 and the club are now coming to terms with the fact they may have to sign a replacement in the near future.According to L'Equipe, they have agreed personal terms...
Liverpool preparing 'record proposal' for Isak after Diaz exitLiverpool are reportedly lining up a 'record proposal' for Newcastle United star Alexander Isak following the almost confirmed sale of Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich. The Reds are keen to reinvest the £65 million fee from Diaz's exit and the Swedish striker is now their top target. The 25-year-old has ruled out a switch to Saudi Arabia...
England ratings Spain GFXAfter winning Euro 2022 in incredibly dramatic fashion, the holders took it to another level by beating La Roja on penalties to keep the trophyIt had to be Chloe Kelly, didn't it? After delivering the Lionesses' first European Championship title three years ago at Wembley in what seemed to be the most dramatic of circumstances, the winger took it one step further on Sunday...
Vissel Kobe v FC Barcelona - Preseason FriendlyBarcelona completed the loan move for Marcus Rashford from Manchester United earlier this week, and the England winger has already made his debut for Hansi Flick's side. Rashford came on as a substitute in the Catalan side's 3-1 win over Vissel Kobe in Japan, and the 27-year-old loanee has received loads of love from cules for his strong showing off t...
Juventus FC v Wydad AC: Group G - FIFA Club World Cup 2025Manchester United and Chelsea reportedly remain interested in Paris Saint-Germain's Randal Kolo Muani after ruling out signing Alexander Isak.WHAT HAPPENED?According to Gazetta Dello Sport, Juventus are expected to send a new offer for Kolo Muani but United and Chelsea could provide stiff competition for the 26-year-old. This comes days aft...
The 2025 Met Gala Celebrating "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" - ArrivalsThe Chicago Fire defender and Grammy Award-winning artist participated in a post-match jersey exchange at Soldier FieldOcean Drive Art Of The Party 2024WHAT HAPPENEDSam Rogers and Chance the Rapper completed a jersey swap on the pitch at Soldier Field following Chicago Fire's 1-0 home victory against the New York Red Bulls....
LA Galaxy v San Diego FCThe former USMNT star called on MLS leadership to make changes to the league's season schedule ahead of the FIFA World CupInter Miami CF v FC CincinnatiWHAT HAPPENEDWith the 2026 World Cup less than a year away, former MLS star Alexi Lalas says the league should capitalize on the opportunity and implement the much-discussed change to a fall-to-spring schedule, aligning with...
- 1 Loris Karius lifts lid on relationship with Diletta Leotta
- 2 Jack Grealish shares sweet holiday snaps as girlfriend stuns in a yellow maxi dress
- 3 Man City make move for Jules Kounde
- 4 Enzo Fernandez agrees Real Madrid move
- 5 Man City to re-sign Trafford in $36M deal
- 6 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 7 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 8 Ex-Prem star 'drowned in pool hours before flight home for son's birthday'
- 9 Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta provides injury update on Gabriel Magalhaes & Jurrien Timber after defensive pair sit out Gunners' pre-season win over AC Milan
- 10 Man Utd joined the race to sign Douglas