Southampton V Middlesbrough The Verdict

Saints started well against Boro, but as the game went on and they failed to take their chances the writing was on the wall, but we failed to ,manage the game out to what should have been 3 points.

Saints could not have got off to a much better start, they took the lead with a superbly taken goal from Adam Armstrong, they should have at least doubled their lead and for half an hour it looked only how many that we would win by.

But then all the old issues appeared, we got caught out playing from the back and Boro saw their effort come back off the post, it was a warning sign that was not heeded by Russell Martin.

In the second half Che Adams had two glorious chances he should have buried and also a goal ruled out, so where did it go wrong.

The truth was that we failed in our game management, although we entered the last few minutes a goal up, we were being pulled all over the place at the back, there was no organisation and no leadership anywhere on the park, we didn't seem to be able to work out who who was marking who.

In fairness to Jack Stephens, although he was part of the problem, he did make a superb tackle chasing back after it looked like he was left for dead, but as Boro sensed blood we sat on our hands.

The first two substitutions on 65 minutes were understandable, Sulemana had been good in the first 30 minutes but had drifted out of the game and Che Adams was having one of those games were he was never going to score, David Brooks & Ryan Fraser were obvious subs and for a while we picked up momentum again.

But as Boro pushed for an equaliser from the bench nothing, on 85 minutes Adam Armstrong was taken off, this put pressure on us in that he is one our few front runner that can hold up the ball and draw fouls that takes the pressure off, I had a bad feeling at this moment.

Two minutes later it was confirmed when Boro headed home, in fairness Joe Aribo was waiting to come on, but that should have been done 10 minutes earlier, we were all at sea at the back, why was Bednarek not brought on, why no Rothwell in midfield to add fresh legs.

Perhaps Russell Martin had one eye on Monday at Ipswich, but in football you get each game won as they come, I am sorry but Russell Martin sat on his hands in those final 10 minutes of normal time and did not batten down the hatches when it was needed.

Before the game the mood was buoyant after Leicester lost at Bristol City, suddenly there was an opening, by 5pm it felt like a defeat, we have the squad it just isn't being used to it's full potential and the manager has to hold his hands up for this one.

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