The first of what we hope will be a regular feature on the Ugly Inside as Brady100 gives us his view on yesterdays defeat to Tottenham Hotspur

This isn't a crisis...yet, the fact of the matter is any fan that saw the defence and GK that where selected prior to the match knew it would be a difficult day. I would like to hear other peoples opinion but it has now started to really anger me that Fox and Hooiveld are still at the club and selected to play big matches such as this. Yes MP's hand has been forced with injuries and we have no other option than to play Gazzaniga but we do have alternatives for the other two positions. I was not at all surprised by our defending yesterday as it happens consistently when Fox and Jos are in the team, they are simply not good enough for the premier league, and each time they take the field we are at risk of conceding playground goals. Both lack pace and mobility, this coupled with poor positioning and ability to read the game more often than not results in the same outcome.

With our formation we rely on our fullbacks to push forward and provide our width as J Rod and Lallana like to drift inside and are not classic white line wingers. While Chambers showed how it should be executed yesterday with a mature, classy performance, Fox lacked the ability and confidence to follow suit. Perhaps he is worried about not having the pace to get back but often seemed reluctant to cross the halfway line to the detriment of the team and shape.

I brought along a friend yesterday for his first Southampton match and he mentioned he had not seen a GK more out of his depth before, and this is coming from a man who watches Oxford United in league 2. I do however have some sympathy for him, he's doing the best he can but the fact remains he has less than 20 professional appearances under his belt...at any level. Unfortunately at times yesterday it looked like we had fielded a Sunday league GK.

My last point is aimed at our fans. I have no idea what people think they will achieve by singing for Jose Fonte after the o.g. What must that be like for Jos, and what will that do to his confidence and who will that effect... Similarly the ironic jeers when the ball was pumped into the air under Gazzaniga's goal. To be frank he had a torrid game, but he has taken the field wearing a saints shirt as our only goalkeeping option and we should support him. The mindless supporters trying to put him off almost wanted to see him make a mistake for another goal. Where is the sense in that? We need to leave our personal rants until after the game and support EVERYONE 100% for 90 mins.

Photo: Action Images

Natural_Order added 12:29 - Dec 23 Very good summary - best in a long time. We did have other options in defence as witnessed when Chambers went to left back at the end of the game and without clarification of whether Fonte was able to play (I assume he must have been to be on the bench), it opens the manager up to criticism. The GK is clearly out of his depth but we have no other realistic alternatives - it is a position that requires bravery and confidence so the mindless few who get on his back during the game are true halfwits. As regards Jos and Fox, they stepped up but we have ample evidence that they are not good enough individually - let alone together with an inadequate keeper....it was the "Perfect Storm". I do have to question MP's recent decision making - I suspect others who's opinions count for more than mine are doing likewise

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winchesterbob added 12:31 - Dec 23 This reflects my thoughts exactly. Fox and Jos are not up to the job and Gazzaniga needs a solid back four in front of him to help him grow and gain confidence.. Regarding your point relating to the fans, it sickens me that mindless morons think that it's okay or it will in anyway help, to sing the names of players on the bench or burst into ironic cheering every time the keeper makes a routine catch... Fans are supposed to support, that includes Fox or Jos or anyone else thats having a bad day. Fans support gets 2 out of 10 for me.

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halftimeorange added 12:54 - Dec 23 You omit to mention that two of our "hero" players - Rickie and Jay - also chose yesterday to be anonymous and contributed nothing to our game (Rickie's goal was a gimme). I agree with the statements that our cover is inadequate for the Prem in key positions but we all knew that last season. How is it that MP can have the finger pointed at him when those who were at the club before his arrival could also see that we had poor centre-back second choices. What has happened to the much-vaunted Matt Targett whom only a few months ago, was being touted as a ready-made replacement for Luke Shaw, should he depart (as he inevitably will if we slide out of the top half of the table). I thought that Cody Cropper had a few appearances for Ipswich in the Championship before leaving. He can't be any more static than what we saw yesterday.

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REEDYREEDOREEDZ added 12:59 - Dec 23 I'm not being harsh but Gazzaniga is a disaster waiting to happen. He is nowhere near good enough for the Premiership, and you wouldn't even want him in your Championship team. He will cost us points, it’s inevitable. The worst thing about him is the lack of confidence the defence has in him. Gazza doesn't command his area at all, he doesn't come out to claim crosses, or close down one on ones, he just sticks to his line all the time. His kicking is atrocious too. You worry every time someone passes back to him. Boruc is a brilliant keeper and wow do we miss him! Saints need to sign decent back up for Boruc, I don't think Kelvin Davis is good enough and Gazza will never be a Premiership keeper. Fox and Hooiveld are Championship quality defenders. They constantly let us down in the Premiership. I don't think Yoshida is good enough either. Saints definitely need a top class centre back to play alongside Lovren. Fonte has been mostly brilliant this season but if we buy a better CB then Fonte will provide good cover. Saints also need to get a decent LB to cover for Shaw. I guess Targett isn't ready for the first team yet because Poche is always keen to give youngsters a try. We got shown up yesterday because Shaw, Clyne, Fonte and Boruc were missing. The club has no decent back up for these players apart from the excellent Chambers at RB. If Saints are serious about finishing top 8 or higher then they must make the squad stronger.

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ItchenNorth added 13:00 - Dec 23 I can cut Gazza some slack because hes our 3rd choice keeper. There are not many clubs that can play their 3rd choice and expect a flawless performance at all. The point is as you have stated; its whats in front of him that's the real concern. Hooiveld and Fox on the left side of defence are a disaster waiting to happen every game they play, esp when together. I'd rather see another youngester come in at left back or switch Chambers or employ Cork at either right back or centre back !

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brady100 added 13:02 - Dec 23 Yes the two you mention had their worst games of the season, however when you score 2 goals at home you would expect to win the match, therefore I have focused on our defence and those I feel consistently under perform.
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brady100 added 13:02 - Dec 23 Yes the two you mention had their worst games of the season, however when you score 2 goals at home you would expect to win the match, therefore I have focused on our defence and those I feel consistently under perform.
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slynch added 13:20 - Dec 23 Boruc, Fonte, Clyne, Davis, Wanyama, Guly, Shaw, Osvaldo all injured. That's life, no reason in moaning, no reason to blame people nor expect results. On the positive side a lot of the points lost were against teams that would be difficult for any teams to win against. And Ramirez looked good. Well done lads you only lost by one goal and scored a couple against a top side.

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lockseaf77 added 13:23 - Dec 23 What must that be like for Jos? What it's like for people who pay around 40 quid to watch the clown, more like. He's put the ball in his own net 5 times at least including again yesterday, then walks off the pitch without even acknowledging the supporters, most of whom did not get on his back. He's probably on 20 grand a week - no f*cking sympathy
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LesVivian added 13:35 - Dec 23 Lallana is having a brilliant season, and is a massive player for us, but he never helps out his full-back - we get away with this when Shaw plays, but Fox cannot cover on his own! Opposing managers see this and attack us on the flanks. Ironically the first Spurs goal came down the other flank, where Chambers had a good game! The keeper is not ready, and of course the jeering doesn't help his confidence, any more than it does for Fox and Hoov. The last two are more experienced, so can ignore the crowd. What should any of the three say when the manager selects them? "Sorry, Mr P, but I'm not good enough to play in the team"! RL and JR were poor, but they had very little supply.

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donricardo added 14:10 - Dec 23 Been a Saints fan since the mid 80's so have seen all sorts over the years. Finally thought I would post a comment after the Spurs game and all the talk of a crisis. For me a crisis means the return of Jan Poortvliet. There is no doubt that yesterday was disappointing as Spurs were there for the taking - however it's worth bearing in mind the size and depth of their squad in comparison to ours. We've made huge strides in the last few seasons and until the Villa game we were on fire. Unfortunately yesterday showed the Prem League and every Saints fan that our squad is simply too thin. Fox and Hoover are solid Championship players whilst I am not convinced Gazza would even get a regular League One start. These players need to be replaced ASAP. Despite all this we are not in crisis. The Villa game was poor but losses to Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs are not the end of the world. We are extremely lucky to have MP and NC - they are both sharp guys and will see exactly the same problems that we all do. MP has to publicly back all his players to maintain morale. If there is money in the pot then I am sure there will be some activity in the window to add quality to the squad.

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chalks82 added 15:28 - Dec 23 One major concern for me was Luke Shaw's absence. A friend of mine saw him before the game and he was asked if he was injured. He said he wasn't and couldn't give an explanation why he wasn't playing. I haven't seen the official reason for his absence.
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sidsaint added 15:34 - Dec 23 Agree with all the above re Gazza, Jos and Fox. Just 3 points to add. Presumably Luke was sick but why was Jose on the bench?, otherwise I would have thought we would have put out our strongest team for this fixture even allowing for some rotation over the holiday period of 4 games in 10 days. Fox should be given some credit for the pass that resulted in the first goal, but his positional play was woeful. Also I thought the timing of the substitution of Cork (whom I thought played well, his pass to Lallana to set up Rickie was superb) for Ward-Prowse when we were in a difficult defending position was weird especially as the third goal happened immediately after the substitution.

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BoondockSaint added 15:35 - Dec 23 I'd give Gazza a break too. Goalkeepers don't hit their prime until they are late 20s into 30s. If the defence was better he wouldn't look so bad. Look, we knew this was going to be a tough patch of the season, so balanced with the beginning of the season, we're doing OK. Bad luck with injuries and AVB getting sacked didn't help. Spurs players are all now playing their jobs. I know we like to play the ball from the back, but when you are a goal or two down late in the game you have to keep the pressure up in their box. Playing the ball back only kills the clock for them.

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davepid added 17:23 - Dec 23 SLynch , teams who score 2 goals but still lose and teams who lose by the odd goal also get relegated. Further, they also get a hammering off their fans ,which is happening today on this site. We got beat bad in a game we could have won having gone ahead after 12 minutes with JRod missing a good chance to make it two before they equalised.
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SingaporeSaint added 18:34 - Dec 23 I think we all knew that we would struggle if we had injuries. The tragedy for me is yesterday's defeat was self induced and I went from expecting to win to fearing a defeat as soon as I saw the team sheet. For all our pretty passing we were top 3 earlier in the season because we were tough at the back. Put Hooiveld and Fox in the same starting team and results will mirror them playing last season. Dreadful defending, comical own goals, fear rather than anticipation and not competing to shut down crosses and to win battles. How after one of the poorest mistakes I've ever seen in Hooi last week costing us 2 points, he gets another start is beyond me. Fox quite simply wouldnt get a game in any other prem league side let alone a top half one. Shaw was in the dressing room and tweeted 15 mins before kick off that he could of played but 'they' didnt want to risk him for the next games. Bad call - a rocking Spurs at home was a great chance for 3 points and we blew it. If Shaw was not right, then Chambers at LB and JWP (too good to be sub) at RB could work. If Fonte is fit enough for the bench then he needs to start. Poch has done well for us, but has had a very bad month, he needs to make the obvious calls to remove clear weak links and our stronger players will give us a chance every week. Chambers, Lallana and MS coming back are reasons to keep the faith - but we need Poch to put a sensible back 4 out for the Cardiff game and put the pressure back on Mr Tan and Mackay.

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LostBoys added 18:39 - Dec 23 I agree with all of this and we are going to be in trouble every time the three play. However I resent people getting on their backs when they are trying their best for the club irrespective of the outcome. I had an argument with some people who sit near me but quietened down as the steward came towards us. Not good in any direction. t
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Steve_N added 18:43 - Dec 23 I've been a Saints fan for more than 40 years and although we're on a bad run right now, it could be much worse. Let's not forget, we're only in our 2nd year back in the Premier League, where we 'arrived' 2 years ahead of NC's plan. Yesterday was pretty dire (defensively speaking) and the result against Villa was a freak, given the stats (possession, goal attempts etc). We've just come off draws away at Newcastle, where a lot of sides will lose and at home to MC (which with a little luck we could have won). However, it is fair to question the selection of JH and DF, neither of whom is up to the job. Would have thought Cork could have played at fullback and I prefer Yoshida to Hooiveld (at least he's a little quicker on his feet). PG is obviously not up to the job either - does anybody know much about Cody Cropper? Could he be any worse than Gazza? Jeering our own players during the match doesn't help one jot, so let's keep our moans to these pages. Keep the faith. Top 10 finish should satisfy us this season. UTS.

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montecristo added 18:44 - Dec 23 Could it be that Poch was making a point to Cortese with regard the strength of the squad. He has up to now been saying that reinforcments are unlikely in the transfer window and may have been told to say that by Cortese but the fact is he probably knew that Hooveld and Fox were not good enough to play in a game like this and by selecting them was merely underlining the point. He is hardly going to refuse the addition of Dettori a top class centre back and as for Fox we either buy or promote Targett. The fact that Gazanigga played was forced upon Poch there wasnt realistically anything else he could do. But it might persuade Cortese to sanction a gk on loan, I just hope he left the game as angry as we all were. Seriously embarassing and against a club I absolutely loathe into the bargain.

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Zambucco added 21:23 - Dec 23 Jos has been a favourite of mine and his love of the fans has been so evident, he was always the player who came over first to thanks us. But yesterday was a nightmare for him and I could have cried for him, the look of exasperation on his face after his own goal was painful. But the writing has been on the wall for a long time, he can play a bit, but his mistakes cost us dearly. Fox has some talent but not quite enough, he lacks that little bit of pace toget past opposition full backs and to recover from forward runs, his timing and commitment in tackles is in question too, he does have good distribution, but this is not enough. Gazza, so clearly lacks confidence, he's a good keeper and his kicking and stopping can be top class, but not when you're lacking confidence. I liken the three of them playing together at this crucial stage is a bit like the Bermuda triangle, you take your chances. Yes individually being picked but not all three at once. As for the notion MP picked a weakened team to show NC the squad is weak, the rantings of a lunatic? Because if this has any semblance of truth then he needs to be sacked! This is the most idiotic statement I've heard for a long time, maybe it was tongue in cheek and I missed that? It is a mystery why certain players are on the bench or not even on the bench, we will never know. We can ponder why the youngsters are not chosen, why Fonte was not used. My brightest moment was the performance of Ramirez, I think he showed real spirit and fight, the first time for 12 months, apart from his very first touch that he failed to control, he held the ball well, his passing was quick and accurate, he put himself all over the pitch in an effort to get the ball, I hope it's not too little too late, as he and Osvaldo have my juices running! All is not lost, and the return of players and another good run will see us back in the top 6!

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Sango123 added 05:15 - Dec 24 I dont think we have any chance of a top 6 finish. Realistically speaking, our chance for that is gone in the current torrid 6 game run. Seeing the quality and the depth of the top 8 teams, we are quite far behind. Considering our current form compared to the top 8 teams, we are far worse. We should be looking over our shoulders and worry about top 10 position as other teams gain points and close in on our position. Lets be honest and stop talking about positions in top 6 etc. We should be looking for a win to stop the rot at Cardiff. That is far more important

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