The big question being asked by Saints fans walking out of Craven Cottage was "How the hell did we lose that" the answer was simple a complete lack of leadership both on the pitch and on the bench.
For the first 33 minutes of this game there was going to be only one winner, we were a goal up and having perhaps our best display of the season up to that point, then suddenly Fulham caught us out not once but twice in similar circumstances, getting down our right crossing the ball across the six yard box to find one of their players completely unmarked and the game had completely turned on it's head.
For the first 18 minutes after the break we got another good goal from Armstrong and again there looked only one winner, but again we shot ourselves in the foot, three players being culpable, the first Hoedt was probably the least of the trio, he tried to keep possession rather than hoof it up the line and got caught out, but losing the ball out on the touchline is a long way from goal and you would expect any team to deal with that, the ball was quickly crossed, it found a Fulham head with his marker Yoshida a yard off him and unable to make a challenge, it was flicked on to Mitrovic who found himself with plenty of time to volley home Cedric also being a yard too far off his man.
At this point there was still plenty of time to far home, but the goal broke us, we had no leader on the pitch and were now a shambles, three goals had been shipped due to schoolboy defending and it had decimated the team.
If the players looked to the bench for help it was not forthcoming, Hughes answer was to bring Charlie Austin off, no one was really arguing with that but why did he bring Elyounoussi on ? this had repercussions in the final 10 minutes when he wanted to throw on Obafemi, truth was that he had to take off Armstrong a player who was playing well and leave on Elyounoussi in the feint hope that he might come good.
Saints did not play badly, indeed for the first 33 minutes in the first half and the first 18 in the second it was as good a display as we have seen in a year, however it was the same old story of poor defending at key moments, Fulham only had 5 attempts on target, yet 3 went in, all unmarked from in or around the six yard box, it happens every week.
Why does it happen ? as I said there is no leader on or off the pitch, no one who keeps the team calm and focused at key moments and keeps them going during the tough periods.
This is why small errors suddenly get compounded by more small errors and cost us dearly, the third goal was a good example of that.
Something has to change, in the squad itself I don't think there is too much wrong that a key signing would not put right, assuming of course that it is a good one.
But if we keep on going as we are we will go down, I cannot see how Mark Hughes can continue, his record is awful and there is no sign of that changing, the club have to find a successor first or at least that seems to be their way of thinking and think they are doing that, but truthfully they need to do it now, Les Reed was sacked for several things, one being his choice of managers, having sacked him for that, surely there can be no confidence in Hughes in the boardroom, they have to act decisively and act now.