Southampton’s automatic promotion hopes remain alive as they secured a 3-2 win over Watford on Saturday afternoon.
It looked as though it’d be a comfortable afternoon for The Saints faithful when their side raced into a two-goal lead inside the opening 20 minutes.
But they were pegged back in the second half and had to throw bodies forward in search of a late winner.
Their attacking endeavour paid off when Flynn Downes bundled in the winner in the ninth minute of stoppage time, sending St Mary’s into total elation. It was a marvellous afternoon for Southampton supporters and one they won’t forget in a hurry.
One player would’ve given Martin plenty to think about after an impressive display.
Southampton ace impresses in cameo appearance against Watford
Martin opted to start James Bree at right-back which saw Kyle Walker-Peters moved out onto the left, a position which has been a problem area for Southampton.
That meant Ryan Manning was named on the bench, once more, though when he came on in the second half, he made a real impact. Here are his impressive stats, as per Sofascore.
- 20 minutes played
- 41 touches
- 92% accurate passes
- 5 key passes
- 2/3 duels won
Saints signed Manning on a free transfer from Swansea City in the summer having flourished under Martin previously.
He was sought after by many clubs at the time so when he arrived on the South Coast, it was seen as somewhat of a coup.
Though, the attack-minded left-back has failed to really live up to those expectations and has found himself on the substitutes bench, at times.
His 20-minute cameo on the weekend, however, would’ve given Martin plenty to think about ahead of the Championship run-in.
Ryan Manning can be utilised as a super sub
Martin has found a nice balance in his defence with the inclusion of Bree in recent weeks, who has looked very assured.
That’s allowed Walker-Peters to operate at left-back, which seems to be working for Saints, so for now, it should stay that way.
That means Manning will have to continue to make an impact from the bench, which he’s more than capable of doing.
His energy up and down the left can cause tiring defenders a real issue heading into the final stages of games.
Further, the Republic of Ireland international, as evinced by his five key passes on the weekend, has the ability to carve out quality chances against a compact team.