There were some who were asking just what Mauricio Pellegrino was on when the team at the Etihad was announced, but the manager showed that he is learning and almost pulled off a shock result.
Something has changed in the Saints dressing room in the past week or so, after the debacle at Liverpool it looked like no way back for Mauricio Pellegrino and his team looked like they were leaderless and had stopped playing for him.
Two games latter and Saints look back to the side that they used to be and although it is still early days Pellegrino h's done enough to get the fans off his back and giving him a little more time.
Ok this was a defeat of the most crushing way in that it was over the allotted injury time and virtually the last kick off the game, but in the bigger picture, unlike Sunday up in Manchester it was about the manner of the defeat rather than the result, of course we would have all wanted us to hang on and get a point, but this was a signal that perhaps just perhaps the old Saints are back and maybe just maybe Mauricio Pellegrino might be the man to take us forward.
It was all change for Saints and as I said in my preview, so it should have been with both a rest for some and a tactical change for others in order, but it paid off.
We all knew it would be tough and the match stats proved that, but the brave move to play three at the back and use Soares and Bertrand as wing backs paid off, although it has to be said Fraser Forster was magnificent and pulled off half a dozen good saves that kept us in it.
But for all that we had our chances, ironically all three central defenders wasting good opportunities, Hoedt hitting the bar with a header when it looked easier to score, Yoshida blazing over from four yards and Van Dink putting a header over from close range.
But Pellegrino went for a win late on with his substitutions and almost pulled it off till that late Sterling winner that broke Southampton hearts.
This was a game when it was hard to pick out a man of the match, we chased shadows for much of the game, but we stuck manfully to our task and almost made it paid off, I will highlight the under fire players for their contribution though.
Forster for a great game and one if he keeps repeating will see the fans off his back, Yoshida for getting stuck in and giving 100% as usual, Nathan Redmond for his tireless work and not being afraid to do the right things despite his recent form and Shane Long for his high pressing game.
So no man of the match on the pitch, just a team of the match, however I will say that Mauricio Pellegrino should take the plaudits for being brave enough to make the changes he did and being brave enough to change the shape of the team, two games do not make a season, but if Pellegrino can turn things round like this in two games, then we should not fear for the rest of the season but look forward to it.
Sometimes you have to take steps back to move forward, hopefully now we can take a few forward, this was a defeat but a glorious one with the squad showing that they are ready to play for the manager, perhaps they weren't a few weeks ago but they are now, something has changed !