A disappointing ending to a day when once again Saints luck deserted them and the referee was the talking point of the game.

This did not feel like a big game from start to finish, perhaps it was the empty seats, mainly in the Saints sections, but also in the Chelsea end, but Saints supporters seemed resigned to a defeat and it needed something to spark both the team and the supporters into life.

Early on it looked like Chelsea might win by a cricket score, they danced around and showboated and had several good chances including one that clipped the bar, however after this spell Saints settled into the game and got to half time with the scores still level.

But the game changed within a minute of the restart when Giroud again scored against Saints and if one man can be accused of ruining Saints season it is this, in the League he has scored three against Saints and without that last minute equaliser for Arsenal and his brace last week, Saints would be four points better off and out of the bottom three, we didn't need him scuppering our FA Cup bid as well.

Saints although looking jaded and lacking fight did have their moments though, Shane Long should have put us level, but tried to round the keeper rather than shooting, Caballero dropped the ball over the line and it was later proved their was little contact if any from Charlie Austin, but the ref was far too quick to disallow the goal for a foul and VAR was not brought into action.

Austin hit a post with the ball an inch forward and it would have gone in and an inch back and Gabbiadini would have touched home, but this was Saints day, one lacking any sort of luck of any kind.

Sadly we seem to be caught in a downward spiral now and something needs to break this, the supporters look shellshocked the team look shellshocked, something has to break the circle in the last four games if we are to somehow stay up.

Some Saints fans questioned the commitment of certain players, but when there is so much confidence lacking and nothing going right, finding form is not as easy as just showing commitment.

My spirits dropped when I saw the swathes of empty seats in our end, I't can't have helped the players either, not blaming the fans here, just calling it how it is, empty seats do not inspire players, it needed something else to do that and nothing is going right for us as a team.

A disappointing ending to the cup run, but I would rather have had this game and trip to Wembley than not had it, the problem was no one really believed, certainly not the fans who fell very silent after the kick off and pre match there was hardly a feeling of optimism on the trains or the pubs, certainly not the players who seemed to be looking to contain Chelsea and hope that for once the luck might go our way, it didn't !

Photo: Action Images

vanmans added 10:21 - Apr 23 You can blame the board and the owners for the empty seats they show no commitment to the team so why should the fans. The fans are fed up with being taken for a ride. Next season there will be lots of empty seats at St.Marys unless there is a big change in the board and the way the club is run.
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SanMarco added 10:25 - Apr 23 The plain truth is we lost because Chelsea have better players than us and we were never going to survive a man of the match performance from Hazard. To have any chance we needed spot-on tactics and some luck and we got neither. I am no tactical expert but when I saw 2 up front, 3 DMs and a back 5 I said all Chelsea have to do is stop our full backs getting forward. It was very strange - was he trying to 'surprise' Chelsea. Last week's tactics worked very well for 70 minutes so why change them? The players are trying - of course they wanted to get to the final, they just looked like they expected to lose and Hughes didn't help with those first half tactics - 2 up front and then play to 'contain'? Also we had no luck whatsoever again. The referee was on a bet for Saints yellow cards - every time we fouled it was a yellow. Also, you might as well have a four feet 'no go zone' round keepers if you are giving fouls for things like that. The Redmond shot and the hit the post would also have gone in if we had any luck at all. It is a shame that the killer second came from the same old easy cross in for the forward to head in unchallenged - pity Hoedt noticed his bootlaces were undone just at the wrong moment. Also the Shane Long touch was a sad reminder that at the top level you need better players than we've got at those vital moments. We now need a vast turnaround in luck. By close of play next Saturday we will be either down or in with a great chance of survival - let's have some luck and it could be the latter. In the meantime please let's lay off the players - unless there really are some 'fans' who WANT us to go down I would suggest we keep off the vitriol until it is all done and dusted - the players are the ones who have to keep us up so let's get behind them fully next w/e. There will be plenty of time for blame/recriminations once we know our fate - either way...

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DorsetIan added 10:33 - Apr 23 That's a fair summary of the game. It was pretty disappointing all round and, to be honest, not much difference to what we have been watching all season. Lots of running around and passing the ball sideways, but little real attacking threat - at least not until Redmond and Tadic came on. And we were playing with 10 men for the first 20 minutes because I don't know where Lemina was, but he wasn't at Wembley. I'm sorry but I've got to point the finger at Mark Hughes. What we needed was someone who was going to come in and somehow find a way make the talented players we have work as a team. Instead, he has effectively ditched Boufal, Lemina, Gabbiandini and Carillo and decided to try to stay up just using the rest. The rest are able to put up a fight, certainly, but we bought the others because we need a bit more than that at the level we are in. Why did JWP not even get on the field yesterday. How on earth did Lemina stay on for the whole game? Why would you take of PEH? Hughes has made no real difference to us. We have a another must-win goal on Saturday, and we all know what is going to happen. I hope it doesn't, I hope we can find some miracle, some luck, some moment of genius from somewhere, but I am not holding my breath. Fed up with it now...

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helpineedsomebody added 10:52 - Apr 23 the only person who pays the bills becouse its his is the owner he has never complained / explained about anything to do with the club do people moan about us spending our own money or give an opinion on how we live no/ if they did you would give them short thrift . the salution as my dear old dad once said to me as we were walking to st marys we got to the entrance all he said was NEVER GIVE UP & thats aperson who went to whitehall to get promotion

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SaintJez added 10:59 - Apr 23 Reminded a me of lot of the FA Cup Final versus Arsenal in Cardiff all those years ago... Saints had a great opportunity but played to contain rather than to win and pretty much got what they deserved. Is very frustrating as a fan. Maybe it's the "professional way" to try and hang on and stay in it but I really don't think is what we believe is the Southampton Way. A back 5, 3 defensive midfielders and 2 forwards who wouldn't score many in the Championship... fire another blank. pretty obvious. pretty sad. It should have been different though. Long's big chance just has to be a goal. Every other team in this league that is a goal.

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Number_58 added 11:08 - Apr 23 I enjoyed the day out, if not the result. I thought we played quite well in the second half and could have sneaked a goal to take it to extra time and who knows what. As for the empty seats, I think even the most ardent of Saints fans probably knew we were going to lose. It was always going to be the most one sided fixture since the Christians took on the lions, and I'm guessing that the Christians didn't sell out their end for that particular encounter either.

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highfield49 added 11:47 - Apr 23 Sadly there wasn't one area of the pitch in which we had a player either equal to or better than Chelsea, although the goalkeepers might just be the exception. Like other supporters have commented already, I have no idea why Lemina stayed on the pitch other than the fact that the game was out of reach and he wont be required next week. Lots more huffing and puffing like we've seen for the best part of two years with no conviction that we can beat any side with either quality or high work rate. Combine quality and high work rate, like Chelsea, and the opposition will beat us every time no matter how much poor refereeing decisions come into play. My heart says that Austin's "goal" should have been given but my head says that virtually every referee will award a free kick in the same situation. Long was pushed over whilst jumping with the keeper but, again, I expected nothing from the referee. The hard truth is we are clutching at straws and Lemina, Boufal, Carillo and Gabbiadini aren't equipped to dig in and scrap. I expect to see JWP back in for Lemina next week and 100% plus against Bournemouth otherwise we are looking like a Sunderland disaster waiting to happen.

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SAINTSNIL added 11:48 - Apr 23 If there was one word to sum up the day it was MEDIOCRE. If ever a club was swimming in a sea of it -we are! Boring, drab,unadventurous, dire ,expensive mediocrity. No wonder so many decided not to go-expect the same next season and unfortunately even if relegated.
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saintsnutcase added 11:59 - Apr 23 I think a big moment in our decline was when the chairman kept referring g to us as a small club. Then he turned us into one.
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LordDZLucan added 12:58 - Apr 23 Not 100% sure what helpineedsomebody is saying but if it's that the owner can do whatever he likes because it's his club then sorry I don't buy that. Nobody is forced to buy a football club so if you do buy a club you should be aware of your obligations albeit not legally enforeceable. Those are to become a fan and to put your heart and soul (and wallet) into the club. Anything less will result in failure. Fans will not switch clubs but they will stop attending if they question the owner's motives. And if you believe that you can prosper without a local fanbase just look to MK Dons for evidence to the contrary.

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REEDYREEDOREEDZ added 13:32 - Apr 23 The goal in the 1st minute of the 2nd half killed us. Up to then we'd done ok and Chelsea hadn't put us under too much pressure. It was an awful goal to concede, players diving in and falling over, absolute chaos and panic. I can't help thinking in recent years, with better defenders, we wouldn't have conceded a goal like that. The 2nd goal was embarrasing, just a simple floated cross into the box and Morata bossed Hoedt and planted an unchallenged header into the corner. What was Hoedt doing? Was it a foul? He gave Morata a free header! What was so obvious yesterday is that we lack quality in defence, midfield and up front. Some players just aren't up to the standard, especially at centre back. Romeu is a shadow of his former self, Hoijberg is limited technically and gives the ball away too much, Long's touch and finishing is woeful. Lemina wasn't interested yesterday, it's obvious he doesn't want to be there. Cedric has been looking to move for a while. Bertrand will definitely leave in the summer, and I think this is half our trouble. A lot of these players want out and if we go down it's only going to help them get their move. Most of them aren't bothered about the club and are only looking out for themselves. When we go down the summer is going to be an absolute mess. We'll have players wanting out but clubs not meeting our valuation because of the players poor form, while Saints will have to sell to reduce the wage bill. We'll have players on massive wages who have been playing awful and no-one will want them, or won't want to match thier wages. It's a dire situation. Judging on the last two years I'm not sure Reed is the man to sort it all out. And the most important thing is that we have the right manager in place to try and take us straight back up. I'm not sure Hughes is that man, although he's walked into a near impossible situation to keep us up. I suppose the only consolation is that we've got a squad full of mostly Championship quality players so the one's we do keep should find a level they can compete at.

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ItchenNorth added 13:36 - Apr 23 I can see why Hughes went with the formation / line-up, as it so nearly worked last weekend v Chelsea at St Marys. It did however feel too cautious for my liking, but the tactic had to be; remain in the game for as long as possible. We just haven’t got the quality of players or confidence to play in any other way at present. I was disappointed to see Hojbjerg taken off because he was one of the few players that looked like he cared yesterday, but the substitutions did change the game however and our second half performance was much better (even though we shipped both goals in that period). So perhaps the tactic was just to delay the inevitable, because what we don’t want was a 4 or 5 nil disaster heading into two must win games in the league. And that’s what would have happened in my opinion if we have gone out all guns blazing form the start. The only players that came out of it with any credit imo were Hojbjerg and Yoshida (who at least were willing to get physical and looked like they cared yesterday).

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SaintBrock added 13:39 - Apr 23 "It was always going to be the most one sided fixture since the Christians took on the lions, and I'm guessing that the Christians didn't sell out their end for that particular encounter either." Absolutely bloody brilliant Number_58! Love it!
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schatfield added 13:50 - Apr 23 We lacked any fight and are sleep walking our way to the end of the season, which I don't think the board expected when they appointed Hughes as a manager. To be honest, its been the same in the league too, and I will not be surprised if Bournemouth play with more passion than Saints in the next game
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saintmark1976 added 14:01 - Apr 23 Purely out of interest and from a technical defending point of view can somebody, please anybody tell me what Hoedt was attempting to achieve in regard to their second goal? In my many years of watching football at various levels from amateur to professional I have never seen any defender react to a cross in the same manner. Totally bizarre and fully in keeping with nearly every decision made by the club's owners and management since losing the services of the Koeman brothers.

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LordDZLucan added 14:11 - Apr 23 Yes, Hoedt is just not good enough and hasn't been since Day 1. Shame really because I do think he cares. But he's one of a number of players who we've picked up off top European clubs who, quite frankly, haven't been very good. If there's one lesson that we need to learn with regard to transfers is that if a top club is willing to let go of a player there's a reason and we should stay well clear!

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SanMarco added 14:15 - Apr 23 Excellent question saintmark - perhaps he really was noticing his laces were undone. Otherwise perhaps he looked down to check he was on the pitch at Wembley and not in a bad dream. I can't think of any serious answers to your question...
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DPeps added 14:22 - Apr 23 I like the idea of saving my spleen venting until the end of the season... but I just can't do it. I wouldn't mind if the players were just inept, but it's the lack of obvious passion and commitment that gets me. Body language suggests that half of them want the ground to swallow them up as soon as we go behind. Notable exceptions are McCarthy and PEH, who we should do everything to keep next season

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REEDYREEDOREEDZ added 14:27 - Apr 23 LordDZLucan - The strategy of getting fringe players from top clubs has been a good one for us in recent years with Lovren, Alderwiereld and Bertrand as a few that come to mind. This time last year Romeu would be on that list too. Even though Hoedt has been poor this season, I think if he had an expereinced leader next to him (like Fonte in his prime) then in a year or two he'd develope into a decent centre back. The trouble is we have Stephens and Hoedt who aren't yet good enough and Yoshida who's probably the best CB we have but isn't a leader or organiser or a commanding centre back. This is what we lost when Fonte and VVD left and was so incompetently not replaced by Reed.

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LordDZLucan added 14:44 - Apr 23 I take your point Reedy but our best signings have been players that we've signed from lesser (in terms of revenue) clubs e.g. Mane, van Dijk, Wanyama, Pelle.
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landerwal added 14:52 - Apr 23 I thought the many player's attitude was summed up after the game when only half a dozen Saints players could be bothered to come over to the fans to applaud them and one those was JWP who did not even play in the match
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jeremy_hood28 added 16:22 - Apr 23 It does somewhat feel everything is against us. I heard last night on the radio that people think we’re allready down. However, we’ve a chance albeit slim to save ourselfs. I thought last weeks tactics at leister we’re correct. You loose that game and it’s all over, the club, players and fans would have lost all belief. Win against Bournemouth and assuming Swansea loose to Chelsea, then suddenly we’re right back in it. You then have to ask yourself, is a win at Swansea on the 2nd to last game of the season going to be enough. That makes Bournemouth and Everton huge games. Forget Man City on the last game of the season. For those fans who ask are is our team giving enough, only they can tell you that. Football is a funny old game, if that decision had gone our way yesterday and we’d held on at 1-1 and lost in penalties would anyone feel differentlyprobably... either way, as a fan of our club, who ever is to blame for the current form, the manager, players board whoever, what we need now is passion from all angles. Support the club not the league.

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the_saint added 16:52 - Apr 23 Don’t know why Hughes is moaning about VAR not being used is it not obvious it’s only there for the top 6 to let decisions go their way
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FARESAINT added 09:47 - Apr 24 Slate me to your hearts content but i think we have a reasonably good crop of players that have been badly managed. MoPo/Puel practically removed all football impetus from the team, turning them from a decent squad which used to play attacking 'saints way' football into a timid sideways passing excuse for a team. I dont blame the players for this i blame the managers and those who appointed them.

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warrens76 added 10:02 - Apr 24 The empty seats were an embarrassment yet a mere 9 years ago we had 55.000 for a vastly inferior competition such is the hope that has been sucked out of the club. The PL is an evolving model, standing still is to go backwards, cashing in at the same time is beyond contempt.... The joy has gone, even if we stayed up I don't see a pretty future....the cartel are of course too far ahead for us but we had our shot and Kat cut us dead....sad.

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