On a day when Saints failed to land a central defender in the January window, their defensive frailties were exposed down in South Wales.

Claude Puel cannot be accused of not putting out his strongest side for this one, apart from Virgil Van Dijk this would probably be as strong a team that we could take the field with injuries or no injuries.

So where did it all go wrong ?

Saints started brightly enough, after 15 minutes you thought that this might be an easy three points, but then Swansea started to become more direct and to be blunt we struggled to cope with it and when they scored just before half time it was no surprise.

Our two central defenders were constantly muscled off the ball and we had lost all sense of confidence and rhythm.

The second half started in the polar opposite of the first, the home side dominated and we looked like we would be in for a drubbing if we were not careful.

But then Shane Long scored and the game turned on its head, from then on in the main we pushed the Swans back and they were looking decidedly nervous.

Now with Sofiane Boufal pulling the strings and showing why we paid so much for him you felt that Saints were the only side who could win this game.

But they once again failed to turn chances into goals, only two shots on target in the whole game is perhaps the story of the season and then came the moment Swansea won the game and this perhaps showed why we needed to sign a quality central defender.

Saints were camped in Swansea's box one minute and then seconds later the home side had broke and we appeared to have left no one back to cope with it, with two against one we did well to hold them up and get men back, but having seemingly done the hard work, we then allowed them too much time to pick a pass and Sigurdsson had too much time to pick his spot in Fraser Forster's right hand corner.

This was a total lack of concentration and a total lack of discipline in the back four, Yoshida had gone walkabout when he should be marshalling his troops.

I said after the Liverpool game that the result papered over the fact that on the night we had left Liverpool unmarked in the box with a free shot at goal, it was only poor finishing that saved us, yes we had defended stoically for most of the game, but that is worth nothing if you keep losing concentration at crucial times, at Swansea we were punished for that.

But we cannot change this result now, all we can do is look forward, the main problem this season has been scoring goals and we now have Shane Long in scoring form having hit 3 goals in the last 4 games he has started and in the one in the last five when he came on as a sub he earned a penalty.

It is essential that he is kept in the team whilst his confidence is high, we can now also add Manolo Gabbiadini to the mix.

Claude Puel is at crisis point now, yes some of that is not of his making due to our horrendous injury list, but some of it is and he needs to rectify that.

On Saturday he needs to show that he will pick his strongest team and that he needs to play players in form to give them confidence and get the momentum back in the team.

He has to answer a few tough questions on Saturday, he has Long scoring goals, he has Sofiane Boufal looking fit and raring to go and a player who can create chances and he has a new striker, will he start them all on Saturday or will he just keep doing the same things and getting the same results ?

Photo: Action Images

mattlegod added 10:04 - Feb 1 No CB???? Not detracting how they played against Liverpool, which wasn't perfect by any means, but was well assisted by the way the team defended for their lives around them... the partnership of yosh and Stephens is not strong enough for this league let alone a cup final. This is the first time I have been critical of Les, but the lack of back up and options in this area can be seen by all teams and we are truly exposed and vulnerable and may well be the difference of a relegation battle and finishing in the top ten. #veryworried #disappointed

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saintsnutcase added 10:12 - Feb 1 Let's face it -- a month ago we had the strongest centre back pairing in the Premiership. Now we have the worst. I am usually a supporter of the club's transfer policy but not this time. It is a crazy risk to take.
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Butty101 added 10:21 - Feb 1 The 2nd goal wasnt down to the centrebacks - it was down to the midfield not bothering to track back
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LordDZLucan added 10:22 - Feb 1 As I keep saying our transfer policy has been a disaster for a while. But the opportunity to put that right has now passed. We now need to start grinding out some draws against the Swanseas of this world for otherwise we're going to get dragged into a relegation dogfight. It really shouldn't have got to this.
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ericofarabia added 10:57 - Feb 1 Our defending from corners and freekicks was pretty abysmal all night.
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SaintPaulVW added 11:00 - Feb 1 We must be looking for a loner/out of contract CB surely. Having your 2 reserves playing full time and with the only other possibility barely match fit is going to cost points. Great to see Long again making some progress. Redmond had a good game but that shot that went for a throw in was woeful. Based on last night's performance Boufal for Tadic going forwards for now. Which is presumably the role he was bought to fight it out for.

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BathSaint added 11:06 - Feb 1 A fair assessment of the night, where the only positives to take were boufal looking the business and Shane Long scoring a classic "long goal" and indicating maybe he will return to form provided he gets more balls in like that cross from Bertrand. Regarding the defenders it really is beyond belief. The club have known for months this would happen, and to be blunt we should have signed one anyway in the summer given that VVD was always off within 12 months and Fonte was not guaranteed to keep playing at a top level given his age. saintsnutcase has summed it up absolutely perfectly - within a month we've gone from the strongest centre back pairing in the Premiership to the worst. Lets hope it doesn't result in relegation, something that would be far more costly than spending some of that transfer profit on a squad with appropriate depth given the number of fixtures (and associated injury list) that we always knew we would have this season.

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SanMarco added 11:21 - Feb 1 Typical Saints away performance thisw season, If you look at Swansea away last season Long scored in that same goal, we didn't play that much better but Swansea barely got a look in. This season, even on occasion with VVD in the side, we are letting in goals. One scored at Swansea should get us at least a point, same at Hull and even failing to score at Burnley, Palace, Everton should net us some points. I have to reluctantly admit that Nick is right in saying that at Liverpool we were fortunate that their chances didn't fall to a Sigurdsson (or a Welbeck/Walcott for that matter). I am staggered that we haven't brought a CB in and I will be interested to see the reaction to that from the glass half full brigade

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Pecky3 added 11:26 - Feb 1 I agree with all the comments that the non-signing of a CB is a disaster and it hurts me to say it but a relegation fight is now a distinct possibility! Van Dijk & Fonte was a very strong pairing but youannot expect to thrust Jack Stephens into their place. I have just read that there are several free agents around including Christopher Samba and Cacaeres. It would be woth a short-term contract for one of these surely??? Cannnot fathom out Saints transfer policy. Will never be up with the biggest if afraid to spend money! Very very disappointed!!

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TimSaint added 11:29 - Feb 1 Nick, if you watched MOTD instead of the Warriors, you would have seen that their second, that you harshly criticise Yoshida for, actually came from a corner to Saints. With our centre backs and many others in the box, a piss poor Davis corner was cleared and the break away was on. Bertrand closed his man down, but the rest of the chasing pack didn't track Siggurdson and he ultimately scored. To blame Yoshi, your fave player - really. He was actually unlucky at the end with a header just wide. A yard to the right and it's a goal. A yard to the left and a rap in for Long. It just sums up our season right now. Mind you a couple of times last season we turned our corners into assists for the opposition, so nothing new there and the players still haven't learnt.

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highfield49 added 11:49 - Feb 1 Like everyone else I'm mystified as to why a quality central defender hasn't been signed and I presume that a potential loan deal for Sakho included a clause that would see VVD heading north in the summer. If that supposition is anywhere near correct then I'm happy with the decision. However, it's hard to believe that with the number of players watched by the club week in week out that potential quality defenders haven't been identified. I'm sorry to say it Jack and Yoshi but you're not going to be on any transfer wants list compiled by our competitors and the club is taking a massive risk for the remainder of the season. Even supposing VVD is close to returning we now have to gamble that another Vardy clogger doesn't have a go at him anytime soon.

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SonicBoom added 11:59 - Feb 1 I hope that the new striker will give us a lift. You cannot rely on Shane Long. Willing runnier though he is he needs plenty of chances to score. In most games we'd be out of sight if we had a guy to finish. Like everyone else I'm stunned we didn't get a CB and the comments are right, we've gone from having the best to the worst. Im sure the club did work hard to get someone. I cling to the hope they have found someone special but can't get them til the summer so chose to stick with what we have. Although I think we all know we will lose VvD so we are going to need at least 2.

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dixiefrog added 12:08 - Feb 1 Despite the loss there were positives such as Shane continuing his mini run of good form and Boufal beginning to fulfill his potential, on another day we might have sneaked it. The CB issue will probably get resolved with someone on a free, although this situation wasn't helped by Liverpool refusing to loan Sakho to Saints but agreeing to it with Palace. It seems to me that there's only one way business between Saints and Liverpool is conducted, if it works for them then it's okay, if it's to Saints benefit then it's not. I think it's time we treated them the same way they treat us, in other words should they in the future want to buy any of our players (maybe VVD), then Liverpool pay a premier 25% over any other club. It's time we stopped Liverpool walking all over us and started giving them back the same sh1t that they give us.

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bstokesaint added 12:28 - Feb 1 Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought I read that the extended loan window of previous seasons has been abolished this season to finish on the regular transfer deadline date for permanent signings? Therefore we can't conduct any further business until the summer. I'm reluctant to say we've gone from the "best partnership to the worst", as I think that completely overlooks the progress Yoshi has made this season. I think it's comical that he always takes the fall when we lose, but rarely the full plaudits when he has a good game, and he has had many this season. Also, the lad Stephens was having his praises sung just a week ago and now he's part of the "one pairing in the Premiership!" That said, I do feel his inexperience now as a regular first team player will be highlighted whilst we fail to be dangerous up top. I'm just hoping the signing of Gabbiadini turns out to have a positive impact on the team as we need goals more than ever. We're only 4 points better off than we were in our first season back in the Premiership under Adkins/Poch and we finished on 41 back then. I still think that this team should be too good to get involved in a fight with the bottom three, but injuries and a blip in confidence aren't helping right now. Need to put it right against West Ham.

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Saintsfc added 12:44 - Feb 1 @bstokesaint how do you define yoshida having a good game? He reads the play and puts his foot through it not trying to be funny but I can train my sister to do that. When he tries to actually play football (like many times last season) he can't cope, silly mistakes, dwelling on the ball, poor decisions and execution.. It's like we have gone from a poor transfer policy to an even worse one! Before we sold our best players in bulk to be replaced with same potential of players in bulk. Now we sell in bulk and buy in patches. gabbiadini is 6 months too late. CB we will get in the summer will be 6 months too late (don't think we will get relegated though) I thought saints were past being happy with surviving, especially as we are choosing to be in a relegation battle as our owners pockets can't get too thin.

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Saintsfc added 12:47 - Feb 1 @dixiefrog saints pulled out interest in sakho due to wage demands.. So they recognise the need for a CB but personal bank account is more important. We can afford sakho wages alllllll days loonngggg especially for only 6 months!!! Not even permanent. Saints are a joke
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Whatsforpud added 12:49 - Feb 1 Agree with TimSaint re Yoshida. Nick, you say he went walkabout when he should be marshalling his troops. Centre Backs are usually taller and are expected to go up for corners. A quick breakaway for a goal is the responsibility of others.
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bstokesaint added 13:04 - Feb 1 @Saintsfc I think you're being a tad harsh on Yoshida. I accept his limitations when you're comparing him to the likes of VVD, but then he's a world class centre back, the likes of which come along once in a blue moon. Yoshida has had some decent performances this season and I personally can't remember him just putting his foot through the ball on too many occasions. Plus his silly mistakes haven't been as prevalent this season, but then as I mentioned above this largely seems to get forgotten when the team has a bad game. As for our transfer policy I agree I think we've got it really wrong this season and especially in this window when a CB was a must, but I don't think that's got anything to do with the owner lining her pockets. A couple of reporters who claim to have viewed the accounts that Lander Sports were looking at when making an approach for the club disclosed club debts of around £60m, with roughly half of that sum owed to the Liebhers for personal loans. That's probably not what people want to hear, and to me that is surprising (especially after transfers and increased TV revenues), but I'll wait to hear more before making any further assumptions. Not to mention the fact that Sakho might not have been interested, or Liverpool were just reluctant to let him go.

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REEDYREEDOREEDZ added 13:05 - Feb 1 This season, apart from the cup final, is a write off. The club failed to sign a CB in January, even though they've had months to prepare for this, and now have to wait until the summer, by which time they might have 2 centre backs to sign. In the league our aspirations now are a top half finish. Our defence will struggle and leak easy goals until VVD comes back. I think Gardos needs to come in for Stephens because we can't deal with everyday crosses coming into the box. Teams will exploit this after last night's showing. Stephens won't be able to deal with Andy Carroll on Saturday for example. In terms of goal scoring, Boufal is a fantastic player and will be brilliant for us, but he'll probably take until next season to show his full potential. In the meantime we need Gabbiadini to hit the ground running or we'll continue to struggle in front of goal. Couple that with a leaky defence and the next month or so could be another very difficult period for us! As long as VVD gets back to fitness and remains fit for the rest of the season, and Gabbiadini scores some goals, then we should be able to finish in the top 10. If this doesn't happen though then we could easily get drawn into the relegation scrap. If we now repeat our current run of 5 defeats in 6 in the league then there's no doubt that we'll right in the mire!

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Bettwsresident added 13:46 - Feb 1 Was I watching the same game? The problem was our attack and midfield not our defence. The Swansea threats came from outside the box, and some incisive play from their wing backs. Stephens and Yoshy cleared almost everything than came in. Neither distributed as well as VVD, or strode imperiously upfield, or threatened at set pieces, but that is why VVD is a £50m player. Their first goal would have gone straight at Forster if Romeu hadn't thundered it past him, their second a breakaway and to be honest, a more cynical Bertrand should have taken a yellow (or even a red). What we need is a man who can finish. And create, the addition of Simms, Boufal and Mcqueen transformed saints. Tadic was static and awful, so many times Cedric looked for him and he wasn't moving to offer the chance of forward pass and Clasie all but non existant.. hence the shots from outside the box Before the game it was embarrassing watch Saints doing their shooting drill, only about 1 in 10 hit the target, Davis had 2 go in but none of Redmond’s or Clasies attempts even hit the target, and this continued in the game, with Redmond missing a gilt edge chance after some Boufal magic had set him up 8 yards out with the goal at his mercy....it went out for a throw in! Also Boufal should have had a pen, when bundled down in the box. I left feeling optimistic, our full backs are quality, the defence looks OK (with VVD to come back), Long is scoring, Forster had made some saves and there were obvious solutions to our issues, JWP or PEH for Clasie, Gabbadini for Redmond and Boufal for Tadic; who has looked a shadow of his former self since he broke his nose.

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TimSaint added 14:11 - Feb 1 Some excellent points well made, Bettws. We had 3 below par performers last night in Redmond, Tadic and Clasie. Last night the manager changed it and had a positive effect. Hopefully the Manager and fitness of others will ensure these changes are made before kick-off on Saturday. Also hoping VvD is back to mark Carroll, or that the Geordie Gippo gets a straight red tonight ;-)

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redandwhitedee added 17:30 - Feb 1 It is clear that we have now a weak squad, and need a few wins soon before Palace start recovering more ground and before Bournemouth realise they are in serious trouble also. We need to give a bit of support to the CB's, so why not go back to the 3CB's we did last season ? That way we can let McQueen and Cedric bomb forward without fear that they are leaving the CB exposed. Bertrand, McQueen and Redmond all combining on the left side would be nice to see. If we need to be less cautious can easily revert to a back 4 or a simple back 3. Stephens Yoshida Bertrand Cedric McQueen Romeu Davis/JWP Clasie/Hojbjerg Gabbiadini/Bouffal Long/Redmond

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the_saint added 17:58 - Feb 1 I said a month ago we would be in a relegation fight people on here disliked it well one win in 5 in the league is relegation form lose to the hammers an Sunderland and we will be in it. palace and Swansea have improved their squad we desperately needed a cb Stephens is not good enough what did we do absolutely nothing not puels fault he's just the boards puppet. Does anybody know what the record loss in a league cup final is. Sorry rant over just sick and tired of all there incompetence

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redwight added 18:16 - Feb 1 The only upside of all this is that VVD MUST be close to a return. There can be no other explanation for the failure to sign a CB. Most of us were calling for one to be signed in the summer and if it was obvious to us, why in the hell wasn't it obvious to Les & co? If VVD goes, we will then be looking for three of them. bstokesaint, I could be wrong but I thought the Leibher loans were converted to shares some time ago, making the club debt free.

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Saintsfc added 18:22 - Feb 1 @bstokesaint that's a fair assessment and I probably am being a bit harsh on Yoshida, just frustrating as I thought we seemed to have moved on to a different class of players recently with that style of footballers (yoshida) being used as backup/league cup etc. Now it's our week in week out players. It's so hard to determine the exact financial situation due to many different reports but I think it's fair to say they (owners) recognised the need of a CB, otherwise why all the speculation and attempted negotiations to pay as little as possible? They chose not to sign one as they don't want to spend x amount. Where else is the money going? The amount of money from just appearing on TV is ridiculous these games, we had plenty of games on BT Sport.

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