New man must give Saints 'edge'

I think it is more than possible to change styles quickly under a new manager.

I think the majority of players in the top divisions are coachable. The tweaks you can make as a new manager are not necessarily to go from Russell Martin's style of play to long balls and long throw-ins so I would not believe the change is going to be that big.

I think there is a sense at times Southampton were a bit too easy to play against so I think the first thing will be to make them more competitive and give them a bit more of an edge. Then, Martin trusted the players to play football because they can do it and we saw that in the Championship last year. The opponents now are obviously a lot better from top to bottom so you get punished that little bit more.

I do not think the new manager will have to fundamentally change anything that has gone on. I think they can just make slight tweaks and give the players an understanding of why things they did in the past were costly to them and why things they do in the future will give them a better chance.

Whoever comes in will be under pressure from the start. You compare the squad they have to other squads and it is not impossible for them to escape the position they are in. But, they will need lots of good fortune, good football and a huge increase in competitiveness for the second half of the season.

They still need to go and play their football because if they do not, they will not create the chances they have over the past year and a half.

But, there needs to be an understanding that if a team is going to beat them they need to fully earn it and it is not because they have been given little moments.

Those little moments will cost across a Premier League season.

Nedum Onuoha was speaking to BBC Sport's Nat Hayward