Russell Martin points the finger of blame after VAR controversy in Southampton loss

Russell Martin admitted he is feeling the pressure after Southampton slumped to defeat at fellow strugglers .

arrived at Molineux on Saturday fresh off their first win of the season over last weekend. But they left having been soundly beaten 2-0, after failing to have a shot on target against a side who had not won any of their previous 10 games in the league.

Pablo Sarabia rounded to put Wolves 1-0 up inside two minutes and Matheus Cunha added a second with a stunning long-range strike. Saints thought they had equalised at 1-1 through Ryan Manning, only for referee Thomas Bramall after watching a replay on the pitchside monitor.

Martin was furious with the call against Mateus Fernandes and was also incensed by Bramall’s decision to ignore a shirt-pull by Craig Dawson on Cameron Archer in the build-up to Cunha’s goal. But the Saints manager did not try to offer excuses for his side’s lacklustre display after dropping to the bottom of the Premier League with four points from 11 games.

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“It's football and it's about how we respond,” Martin told the . “We started the game badly with two mistakes leading to their goal. We've dominated the ball, limited them to eight shots at home and lost 2-0.

“It's disappointing when you're on the end of two tough calls. We should have done better. We have a lack of punch. We have to create. We need to work really hard to try and improve.”

Asked about Manning’s disallowed goal, Martin said: “I think it's open to interpretation. Semedo doesn't try to play the ball – he puts his leg across him and then there's contact. We were expecting a penalty. It is what it is.

“It’s not a foul. The understanding for the guy watching it and making the decision needs to be so much better. It’s a lack of understanding of the situation.”

He added: “The second goal rocked us, in terms of performance, and it gave them energy, you could see that. My take on it is: if I say before the game we’re going to come and have that much of the ball in the final third, I expect us to get something from it.

“How dominant we are with the ball and in the final third, it’s really not easy in the Premier League, that. So we have to make the most of that, and we’re not. We need to do way more in the final third. The team gets there so much, then people need to do something, express themself, play together with more energy and spark.”

Martin has been under huge pressure since his side surrendered a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 to on October 19. His side have an extremely difficult run of fixtures against , , , Aston Villa and after the international break and Martin conceded that his position is under threat.

“Mate, I feel under pressure every single day of the week, so that’s not going to change with this result,” he said. “The players are trying their very hardest. It’s a tough day.”

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