Southampton owner suggests VAR cost Russell Martin his job as manager

Southampton proprietor Dragan Solak suggests VAR value Russell Martin his job as supervisor, saying it took “eight factors” off the staff.

Solak, in his first main interview since buying the membership in 2022 through Sport Republic, expressed unwavering dedication to the membership regardless of two relegations, one promotion, and 5 everlasting managers throughout his tenure.

He denied rumours of promoting the membership, saying a 10-year plan to develop Southampton commercially and financially, doubtlessly inviting funding companions if promoted to the Premier League.

Solak highlighted the damaging influence of VAR choices, claiming they value former supervisor Russell Martin “eight factors,” which he believes might have stored Martin in cost.

🚨 DRAGAN ŠOLAK EXCLUSIVE

▪ #SaintsFC are NOT up on the market▪ Appointment of Will Nonetheless▪ FFP/PSR navigation and different long-term initiatives▪ Loyalty of the followers

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Martin, sacked in December 2024 after a poor Premier League run, was described as “unfortunate”, with Solak additionally noting the lack of director of soccer Jason Wilcox to Manchester United being a pricey setback.

He acknowledged the rising hole between the Premier League and Championship, advocating for wealth redistribution to reinforce competitors.

New supervisor Will Nonetheless, the membership’s fifth supervisor of Solak’s tenure after Ralph Hasenhuttl, Nathan Jones, Russell Martin and Ivan Juric, has been praised, described by the chairman as a wise and impressive selection for the Championship problem.

“We’ve had some actually nice highs and pleasing moments however we have now additionally had devastating and unhappy durations – however I assume that’s the game,” Solak instructed BBC Radio Solent.

“However the good factor is that my love, respect and loyalty for Southampton is simply rising by all of this.”

On director of soccer Jason Wilcox leaving for Manchester United, simply six months into the position, and even earlier than they gained promotion: “I actually preferred working with Jason throughout his time right here however I perceive it, should you get the decision from Manchester United, you go.

“We all of a sudden misplaced a person who [had] began constructing one thing, we didn’t substitute him quick sufficient so we went into the problem of the Premier League with no main determine in our soccer division and that was very, very pricey.”

Large interview as Saints chairman and proprietor Dragan Solak speaks to us on:

🇸🇦 Rejecting proposal of membership sale talks.✈️ Roles of Kraft and Ankersen in SR.🏡 New administration staff at St Mary’s.🔜 Two positions Saints will signal now.🦺 Working with Metropolis Council on plans.#SaintsFC

— Alfie Home (@AlfieHouseEcho) June 19, 2025

On hypothesis Solak was seeking to promote Southampton: “I’ve by no means had any plans of promoting the membership.

“We’ve fairly a number of very thrilling initiatives.

“I would invite some companions to affix me if and once we are promoted to the Premier League, as a result of I believe we’ll want possibly extra [investment].

“However promoting was by no means on my thoughts, I used to be considering far more about this 10-year undertaking of the way to develop the membership commercially and financially so it’s extra sturdy and fewer depending on TV rights offers.”

Former head coach Russell Martin, who guided the membership to the highest flight however was sacked after only one win and 13 defeats, however has since been appointed by Rangers.

“I actually consider he was completely, essentially behind his thought of soccer and that isn’t straightforward in an atmosphere just like the Premier League that’s so aggressive,” Solak mentioned.

“However to offer him credit score we had been fairly unfortunate, I don’t even know the way to characterise among the VAR choices that we had – however in my view VAR took eight factors off Russell’s staff.

“If he had these eight factors extra in December I believe he would in all probability handle the staff by the entire season.

“I’m not saying we’d keep within the league however we’d have [had] a way more aggressive run and Russell would positively nonetheless be main the staff.”

On the hole, with all of the promoted sides being relegated again to the second tier: “The reality is that the distinction is simply too massive that’s for positive,.

“The hole needs to be narrowed by some means or it would create issues for each the Championship and for the Premier League sooner or later.

“I believe they need to redistribute wealth and I don’t suppose the standard of soccer would go down, this might enable the Championship to catch up and it is going to be far more significant competitors between the groups.”

On Will Nonetheless: “I spent a while with him and I’ve to say he’s positively a really good man.

“He went from a first-tier staff in France to return to the Championship, he thinks it’s a proper transfer for him as a result of I believe he believes his place is in British soccer.

“For him to be prepared to principally take the problem and to attempt to show that it’s his place, I believe it’s nice so I’m very constructive.”

That is how followers reacted because the Southampton proprietor suggests VAR value Russell Martin his job as supervisor…

@bfgfox: I utterly agree with him. I additionally suppose Martin was unfortunate in that the perfect kind from Ugochukwu and Downs got here later within the season. He did nonetheless handle to get the perfect from Lallana, Dibling and with Fernandes we appeared harmful at occasions #saintsfc

@Scotty_Ash78: So he was sacked primarily based on VAR choices? Nah.

@PSmith1994: Most likely proper tbf

@jamie_guce: spot on. gala’s. #saintsfc

@liamtribb: It’s greater than 8

@HCfootball01: So that you basically sacked him due to VAR incompetence? Effectively that’s not very good

@oc_chaudhary: so should you believed he was value 8 factors larger than they’d, why did you sack him lmao

@saintsleom: as a result of each sport in december he was getting always abused by the followers, dragan had no selection

@JoeCWard: He’s 1000% right by the way in which. Doubtlessly much more than eight.

@AJPfx_: Folks saying no however don’t even know what choices he’s speaking about 😂 Russell was unfortunate with VAR however we’d’ve nonetheless been relegated with him in cost

@Sam__SFC: In the end suicidal soccer value him his job however we should always have had far more factors than we did

@HanksMartin: Effectively it didn’t assist poor health ranges meant they couldn’t play to straightforward required to play Russell’s model of soccer within the Premier league and led to the person errors which value loads of factors and in the end led to relegation due to it

@Charlie_Robb96: No. The truth that full and utter moron of a bloke continued to play out from the again with gamers not adequate to take action and never studying from it after they stored conceding from unforced errors value him his job. Celtic should be laughing their heads off.

@nathanj3001: Effectively it’s a great factor he’s now managing a staff in a league that doesn’t have odd var choices go in opposition to them usually 😅

@khughsey111: Bang on tbf we had been shafted greater than anybody by VAR final yr, everytime it could of gave us a platform to construct we acquired fucked over #SaintsFC