The big question is how can a side that was so tight at the back, so clinical up front and who could pass the ball around almost with their eyes closed, become the disorganised rabble that they were at the Leicester City this evening.

In truth Saints never looked confident from the beginning, they looked nervous and low on confidence and gave the ball away far too many times.

The goal threat was non existent and to be blunt Leicester just picked us off.

We were somewhat fortunate to go in only a goal down at the break and although we came out and had a go in the first 10 mins of the second half you just had the feeling that the home side were just biding their time.

This was indeed the case and when on the hour mark Leicester made it two, you knew we were finished.

Perhaps Saints can be excused for trying to pull a goal back at this point, but once the third went in it was just astonishing that at this stage we didn't just close the game down and apply a little bit of damage limitation.

No we carried on as if we were still in the game, 4 minutes later it was 4 and only 2 minutes later as we poured forward, Leicester cleared the ball and suddenly we were caught short and it was 5.

We were now just a rabble, again no leadership on the pitch, indeed in the final 10 minutes we had more meaningful attacks than in the previous 80, but what was the point, were was the possession football, where was the game management to stop a defeat becoming a rout.

Few players could come off with any real credit, Will Smallbone was one and to a lesser extent Shea Charles and Joe Aribo, but after that it is hard to give anyone any real credit.

The problem is now where we go from here, somehow as I have said our confidence has been destroyed in the last two months, our pattern of play disappeared, our leadership zero, I am sorry to say it but Russell Martin has destroyed everything he has built up and we are back to where we were when Leicester won 4-1 at St Mary's.

We go into the play offs in a bad way and the worry is that the manager does not really know how to get his side out of it, his answer to anything is always multiple changes and you don't have to look far past that as to why our best players have had their confidence shattered by baffling team selections.

On a bright note we kept a clean sheet in the final 10 minutes plus 5 of injury time and yes it was a very good performance from Leicester, but this was more about how bad we were.

What the answer is I don't know, the hope is that we can get back on track against Stoke and perhaps pick up some confidence.

These players were so clinical in all areas only two months ago, how could it be destroyed so quickly and so badly.

Over the past few days over 3,000 Saints fans have travelled to both Cardiff & Leicester, they do not deserve to see a team collapse so badly in both games.

Russell Martin has to show that he is the man to take Saints forward, two months ago I firmly believed he was, now I cannot see any way forward with him as a manager.

Many Saints managers have proved the fans wrong over the past 50 years, I would doubt whether many trooping out of Leicester tonight and a long journey home, can think of much good to say about Russell Martin.

Photo: Action Images

ItchenNorth added 12:25 - Apr 24 It's fairly simple and obvious to me. With three key players (Gavin Bazunu, Flynn Downes, Stuart Armstrong) from our starting 11 out, we will struggle. Gavin Bazunu - Despite all his detractors, Bazunu is a key element of playing the style of football Russell Martins has instilled. Bazunu is good with his feet and we start so many of our passages of play from the back, he's a big miss. You only had to look yesterday to see that we were trying to play this way with 10 men (as McCarty hasn't got it in him and defenders were reluctant to play the ball through him). You then start with one less option for a pass, so the drawing in of the opposition player(s) stops, which creates less space. We then end up lumping the ball forward ! Flynn Downes - protects the backline, has excellent movement and is comfortable on the ball allowing others to play off him. Stuart Armstrong - is one of the few players that drives forward, and will shoot on sight or play others in. Without S Armstrong and Downs, Aribo has to work harder as he doesn't have that safety net of better player around him. I thought Charles was fine last night, but all around him there were problems. To me the midfield is key. We had nothing last night so Che was not involved. Our wingers when they did get into forward positions seemed unable to beat anyone when they are on the ball. No need to panic though, that's for fans to do. Russell needs to re-focus the players. Saturday is a massive game now. We need a performance and a result at St Marys so we go to Elland Road and the Playoffs in some form.

1

gingerman added 13:29 - Apr 24 I think RM has run out of ideas, he looked a broken man in the after match interview. Personally I think Steve Cooper would be a great alternative for us, but we need to move quickly as he will soon be snapped up come the end of the season.
0

IanRC added 13:45 - Apr 24 Awful team selection and tactics, Brooks is useless and Edozie (whilst better) is simply not strong enough. Game was crying out for Sulemana and some balls over the top but the only one who couldn’t see that was our manager. Needs to go and if by any chance Potter would come we should bite his hand off. Their first goal was offside and am I the only one who thought the referee had given a free kick in the build up that was taken with a rolling ball not in the right place. KWP badly at fault there. Disgraceful performance.

2

SanMarco added 14:38 - Apr 24 I think last night was the funeral ceremony for RM's way of doing things. He has imposed a style that is highly unlikely to work and Leicester rammed that fact home with a hammer and five (could have been more) nails. What now? Both feasible answers to that involve a different manager. If we don't go up he has failed and if we do go up the prospect of next year under him is frightening. The only winner would be Ralph whose 9-0 record might well be surpassed. Cooper, Potter, Eddie Howe (I think Saudis will sack him in summer) are all better prospects whether we go up or not. It was a sad and embarrassing evening and one person alone is to blame. WBA outplayed Leicester at the weekend - we didn't play at all.

1

AmericanSaint added 20:40 - Apr 24 Also, don't forget that who ever else in in the playoffs with us, will watch this game and copy the tactics, which will obviously cause us issues since RM can't change tactics on the fly. We will have to wait and see what happens.
0

underweststand added 18:32 - Apr 25 There is little to be said to provide an excuse for (Yes Nick) ..debacle was a good word. For better or worse our back line picks itself every game even when swapping the full backs and without your favourite whipping buy (Captain Jack). Sadly recent events meant that the injuries to Downes and Stuey meant that the midfield trio picked themselves, and after Rothwell went off injured Will Smallbone was " the best of the worst " even after coming on as sub. To brag about the fact that Adam. A and Che Adams have 37 goals between them is to totally ignore all the clear cut chances they seem to waste in almost every game. Unless our form picks up incredibly we may be hard put to it to win the play-offs and certainly very few in the current squad look to be anywhere near Prem. standard. The thing I hated most about losing 0-5 was that Jamie Vardy scored against us -yet again.

0

Blogs 31 bloggers

Southampton Polls