Southampton interim boss Simon Rusk could receive a major injury boost as the Saints turn their attention to the Carabao Cup quarter-final at home to Liverpool after Russell Martin was sacked on Sunday night.
Injured goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale was a pundit for TNT Sports during the Saints’ shambolic 5-0 loss to Tottenham, which made it 13 defeats in 16 Premier League matches and ultimately cost Martin his job.
Ramsdale has missed Southampton’s last five matches with a finger problem, but hopes to be involved in Wednesday’s cup tie with Liverpool and Sunday’s trip to Fulham.
“The finger is getting more bendy, it’s getting there. It was too soon for this game. I’m looking forward to (this) week. We have two games that I’m hoping to be involved in,” Ramsdale said before Martin’s sacking.
“It was a tough one to watch. It must have been a lot harder to play. After the work you put in, to go behind that quickly and be 5-0 down at half-time, I can’t imagine the feeling playing that second half.
“We have to just forgot about it really quickly, which is easier said than done. I am sure it will be a real tough one for the boys, but we’ve got to go again.
“We’ve got a big game and one we can try to get into the semi-final of the cup on Wednesday.”
"I think there'll be some home truths"@AaronRamsdale98 is expecting brutal honesty from Southampton's management team after their 5-0 loss to Tottenham 🗣
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Summer recruit Ramsdale watched Southampton concede after 36 seconds at St Mary’s and after being 3-0 down inside 14 minutes, they shipped two more before half-time.
The home fans had already turned on Martin by this point, with repeated chants calling for the 38-year-old to leave the club, and he actually missed the final goal of the first half after he headed for the dressing room with a minute of stoppage time left.
Saints’ 5-0 loss keeps them bottom of the Premier League on five points, but the immediate focus for Rusk – who only joined the club as under-21s boss in July – is the visit of Liverpool in the Carabao Cup.
Rusk started his coaching career in Brighton’s academy in 2015 as their under-23s boss before he had a nine-month period in charge of Stockport three years ago.
A role with the Football Association followed but after being tasked with leading England Under-19s, Rusk spent the second half of last season at Nottingham Forest as their specialist set-piece coach before he moved to St Mary’s in the summer.
It sounds a bit deluded, but we have what it takes in this dressing room (to stay up). We are not going to stop believing.
Rusk will have precious little time before the midweek visit of Liverpool, but will have a group of players determined to respond to Sunday’s 5-0 thrashing.
Centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis told Premier League Productions: “We need to be better. It’s as simple as that.
“We have got boys in there willing to put anything on the line. It sounds a bit deluded, but we have what it takes in this dressing room (to stay up). We are not going to stop believing.”
