How Martin found diamond against Leeds in Southampton rough patch

The St Mary’s side had lined up in the same 4-3-3 system for the first eight matches of the Championship season but made a decision to change following four consecutive losses.

Martin and his team were able to surprise the division’s form team, Leeds United, managed by his former boss Daniel Farke, with a complete midfield shake-up.

Flynn Downes anchored a four, set up in a diamond with Will Smallbone and Stuart Armstrong flanking free man Charly Alcaraz – something between a false eight and false nine.

Kamaldeen Sulmana played almost purely as a left-winger while Adam Armstrong drifted between hugging the right touchline and making incisive central runs.

Adam Armstrong's two goals takes him to seven and top of the Championship charts (Image: Stuart Martin)

The result was Armstrong’s opener in just 104 seconds, ending a run of 362 minutes of league football in which Leeds had not conceded.

In the build-up to the goal, which saw the returning Alcaraz, receiving with back to goal in his own half from Jan Bednarek, spin off for the key in a three-pass movement.

Kyle Walker-Peters took off on the right and the quality of himself and number nine Armstrong showed to produce Southampton’s quickest score of the season.

You can see the diamond’s moving parts in action with Downes, Smallbone, Armstrong and Alcaraz circled here.

Charly Alcaraz's free role sees the midfield's shape contort based on his movement (Image: WyScout)

It is not the first time Martin and his staff have turned to this system to get them out of a sticky patch. Swansea City had picked up one point from six matches going into March 2023.

Martin then switched to it for three matches against Bristol City, Cardiff City and Coventry City – they won the first two and recorded a 0-0 draw with the eventual playoff finalists.

Speaking to the Daily Echo after the match on Saturday, Martin explained: “It’s something we’ve done before and it worked really well.

“We have the personnel for it here and we have had a couple of performances that have been getting better without being very good. We needed something different.

“We look at every game and Tuesday (at Stoke City) might be different. We thought this might cause Leeds some problems and it did in the first half.

“They got to grips with it better in the second and we didn’t use the ball anywhere near as well enough. We have a few different ways of doing it.

“We’re trying to find something that really clicks for us and today it did. Tuesday is a different game so we might have to do something differently.”

Switching to the diamond also allowed Martin the chance to address another problem that has emerged this season – allowing one of their own unpolished gems to shine.

Charly Alcaraz's one shot on target came from a header (Image: Stuart Martin)

Alcaraz, just 20 years old, was Southampton’s most dangerous player from January onwards, scoring four as the toothless side were relegated from the Premier League.

Under Martin, aside from a late goal in defeat at Gillingham, we have not seen the best from the former Racing Club attacker.

Alcaraz – who has also been suffering some difficult personal circumstances – has been struggling to fully get to grips with the tactical demands as an eight/10 in Martin’s 4-3-3.

Saints bosses held conversations with Martin over his public explanation of this after the defeat at Middlesbrough and assured him they felt words had been taken out of context.

But they, Martin and the supporters all equally want to see the best from Alcaraz – who is viewed as a potential match-winner and high-value asset.

Alcaraz was an important part of Southampton’s second goal, scored by Smallbone on the half-hour mark, despite not even touching the ball.

The diamond's shape is clearly visible in the build-up to the second goal (Image: WyScout)

As Scotland international Armstrong feeds Kamaldeen down the left, Alcaraz drifts into the box taking Glen Kamara with him and out of the ball’s path.

Charly Alcaraz's movement allows Kamaldeen Sulemana the path to find Will Smallbone (Image: WyScout)

Kamaldeen’s ball comes into Smallbone, who, under limited pressure from Crysencio Summerville, can divert it off the far post and in to double Southampton’s lead.

On the ball, Alcaraz actually had limited obvious output – his 29 touches were the fewest of any Saints starter and he completed the fewest passes (16) too.

Alcaraz’s task was to be difficult to pick up, occupying space all over and enabling overloads out with up to three players (full-back, eight and wide forward) all targeting. 

Charly Alcaraz's heatmap shows the varied positions he was occupying against Leeds United (Image: WyScout)

“It’s my role as a coach to find ways and we wanted Charly in the team, he’s trained so well and his mentality has been great,” Martin said.

“We put him in a role that suits him more than the one he has been playing to free him up a bit. He was amazing with it.

“We sat down a lot this week and went through it a lot in training and in a lot of clips. I’m really proud of him and pleased for him.

“We now know Charly can play that role and do it really well so this will only help him get better as well.”

Now that Saints have stopped the rot, they face two comparatively more appealing fixtures in the next six days with bottom-half Stoke City and Rotherham.

Russell Martin celebrates ending Southampton's four-match losing run (Image: Stuart Martin)

Martin’s comments on potentially not replicating the same system at Bet365 stadium are intriguing and Saints could revert back to the 4-3-3 – potentially removing a role for Alcaraz.

It will be interesting to see what Martin decides. Kamalden is still not 100 per cent fit and may not be ready for another start but has staked his claim as a possible superstar.

Unlikely though it may be to name a completely unchanged side just three days later, nobody will really feel deserving of being dropped.