Gavin Bazunu opens up about ‘the most important’ difference between Will Still and Russell Martin as Southampton manager

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Southampton are preparing for life back in the Championship under their new manager Will Still, with promotion being the aim.

The Saints brought Will Still into the club after a campaign to forget last year, as they almost accumulated a record low points haul in the Premier League.

As the club looks for a refresh, this has seen a number of players depart the club, including Aaron Ramsdale heading to Newcastle United and full back Kyle Walker-Peters leaving the club upon the expiry of his contract.

The refresh does not limit itself to just the squad Southampton have assembled but also to the feeling around the club, something Gavin Bazunu has pointed to ahead of the new campaign, with him putting this down to his new manager.

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Bazunu believes there is a freedom to the Southampton approach to this campaign

The Republic of Ireland international had been the first-choice goalkeeper at the start of the Russell Martin tenure, and he would have understood the desire of the then coach to play a certain way.

Bazunu has admitted that since Will Still has been appointed manager of the club, there is more of a ‘freedom’ for the players in the tactical approach.

Speaking to the Southern Daily Echo, he said: “I think that’s probably the most important thing. There hasn’t been much detail for me. It has been just about going and playing, going out to perform.

“That freedom to be able to play what you see, and know that there’s no pressure or criticism for trying to play in a certain way, just to make the decisions that you see and play what you see, is really important.

“I think the biggest thing is (he’s) just really calm. There’s no real highs, no real lows. It’s all very much about the detail and the information.”

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Bazunu on Russell Martin’s tactical approach

Martin received a lot of criticism last season due to the approach he adopted in the Premier League with Southampton and his lack of willingness to evolve his structured style or change it to have a better chance of fighting in the division with a limited squad.

This eventually cost him his job at the helm of the club; however, Bazunu believed in the ‘risks’ in Martin’s approach when he spoke to the Telegraph in February 2024.

He said: “There are risks happening all over the pitch – it’s just when you are in your own third, people can get a lot more nervous.

“But, as you have seen so many times this season, it really hurts teams. Over a long period of time, you see the influence.

“The biggest thing is the movement and the timing for each of us. We try to keep in close distances to always help our team-mate. It’s taking up the responsibility of breaking a press or allowing teams to press so you can hurt them in different areas.

“The moments when we stepped off the pedal and chose the safe option rather than the right option … are usually the positions that put us in trouble. Staying brave is a massive part of our game.”