The Southampton hierarchy are split over the club’s poor start to the season, talkSPORT understands.
Manager Russell Martin is coming under increasing pressure from owner Dragan Solak after his newly-promoted side took just one point from their first six games.
Saints are also the lowest scorers in the Premier League after netting only three goals and slumped to a 3-1 defeat at south coast rivals Bournemouth on Monday night.
Martin does retain the support of sporting director Rasmus Ankersen, who head-hunted the former Swansea boss and is backing him to turn their fortunes around.
However, sources close to the situation suggest Ankersen is also facing scrutiny from Serbian billionaire Solak.
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Saints were relegated from the Premier League in 2023 after twice changing manager and making a number of big-money signings that did not pay off.
Martin guided them back to the top-flight at the first time of asking via Championship play-off final win over Leeds and was rewarded with a new three-year deal in the summer.
The Saints boss also lost a key boardroom ally in Jason Wilcox when he quit his role as director of football to join Manchester United.
Things are unlikely to get much better when they face title challengers Arsenal on Saturday.
Martin will want a reaction from his players after he laid into them following Monday’s defeat.
“They make 20 fouls to our 10 or whatever it is — I think that sums up the whole game,” Martin told Sky Sports after the game.
“We were soft. The problem — forget style of play — is if you don’t want to run and fight properly, make contact, take things personally, like a duel we didn’t come out of the ball at all in the first half, then it’s going to be a problem.
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“I thought I made enough of a deal about Bournemouth and the way they approached the game and how good they are at certain things, but obviously it wasn’t enough, because we looked like we were unprepared for that, which, considering the work we’ve done is crazy.
“I will never, ever come out of here and blame the group of players, we are together. I didn’t like a lot of what I saw, and I was hurt by the lack of spirit and fight.
“I told them that, that’s nothing I haven’t said in the dressing room but it’s always on the leader and that’s my problem to sort out.
Only Wolves are below the Saints, by virtue of a one goal worse goal difference.
