Southampton manager Martin responds to Warnock's 'Chinese' suggestion

The veteran EFL manager said he would have taken his players out for a Chinese takeaway after Southampton's 5-0 defeat at Leicester City.

Warnock insisted Martin should find a way to get the group to move on from the embarrassment while working as a pundit for Sky Sports.

The result ended any flimsy hopes of automatic promotion and sowed doubt into the minds of supporters ahead of the playoffs. 

Saints did not go out for a group meal in the aftermath of the match but accepted the experienced Warnock was right. 

Martin told the Daily Echo: "I think if one of the players is willing to pay, we could definitely do that.

Russell Martin's side were embarrassed by promotion rivals Leicester City on Tuesday (Image: PA)

"I'm not paying and Gilly's (Matt Gill, assistant manager) definitely too tight to pay. No, actually Gilly's not tight.

"Dean's (Dean Thornton, goalkeeper coach) very tight. But I think he (Neil Warnock) has a very valid point.

"I think we have to learn from it and we have to take it on the chin but we also can't dwell on it for too long," Martin added.

"It's not happened for a long time, we have to take as much as we can to learn from it but also not dwell on it or feel sorry for ourselves.

"It's more painful than you'll ever know when you stand in the dugout and see the scoreline and the team hurt in that way.

Russell Martin teed up Leicester as a chance for the players to prove to themselves they can hack it. Well...

"Giving up," was unacceptable. Injuries to key men and shattered confidence, winning at Wembley feels so far away.

And yet opportunity remains. My verdict:#SaintsFC

— Alfie House (@AlfieHouseEcho) April 25, 2024

"But I think this game prepares you and gives you a high threshold for pain and a way to deal with it."

The boss continued: "The only way to deal with it is to respond properly and professionally.

"To learn from it as much as you can and get the players ready for the next game and I hope we've done that.

"It feels like today is a completely clean slate, we're now ready for tomorrow. Tuesday's done, out of the way.

"I'm sorry for everyone that was there and the people that watched it and had to experience it. There hasn't been many days like that and there won't be moving forward."