Martin impressed with impact of new signings
Despite remaining tight-lipped on whether they'll be involved on Saturday, Southampton manager Russell Martin has praised the additions of Cameron Archer, Lesley Ugochukwu and Mateus Fernandes to his squad.
"They’ve only had a few training sessions but we’re really excited to work with them," said the manager. "We want players who are hungry to be here and I’ve really been impressed by them in the first few days of training.
"They now need to get themselves into the team which is the biggest challenge. It’s all down to their willingness to learn and being open to ideas.
"Lesley [Ugochukwu] in the number six position will compete with Flynn [Downes] and he’s adapting really nicely. Mateus [Fernandes] is a really, really talented footballer and can be quite flexible in terms of position. We’ll see how long it takes for them to adapt.
"[Cameron] Archer gives us flexibility. He’s a proper goalscorer, quick, really intelligent with his movement. It’s just about how he adapts to what we want. He’s scored a lot of goals in training this week, looks sharp."
Martin finished with a rallying cry to the supporters, who are returning to St Mary's Stadium for competitive action for the first time since the Championship play-off match against West Brom.
"I hope the fans bring the same excitement as we got for the West Prom game. Give us everything you’ve got, we’ll give you everything we’ve got."
