This was a worrying performance from Saints, who although dominating the game looked lacklustre for most of the game.
The big talking point before the game was the decision by Mauricio Pellegrino to drop Wesley Hoedt and put in Virgil Van Dijk, it was obviously a difficult decision for the manager, but the fact remains that Hoedt has been our best central defender in the past three games as harsh as would have been to drop Yoshida on performance Hoedt should have stayed, loyalty clearly played a big part in this selection.
But from the start Saints seemed to lack fire, although we passed the ball well in the first two thirds of the field, the final ball was missing.
Defensively in the first half we were all at sea, Stoke carved out a succession of chances and it needed Fraser Forster to be in top form to keep Saints in the game including a great penalty save, those who have knocked Forster in the past cannot deny he is looking the part in the past three games.
It looked like Saints might get through to half time but just before the break Diouf was left completely unmarked to head home from close range, it could have got worse a minute later when Forster's penalty save meant we were still in the game.
Second half was a lot better, but although we had plenty of pressure we just did not seem to have the confidence to take players on or try to hit the final ball, too many times players we have seen in the past do both of these things, when faced with the option of either of these, did the safe thing and checked back and played a sideways ball.
This is the heart of Saints problem we are playing with fear in the final third not with flair or confidence.
When Boufal came on for Davis on the hour mark it was a brave move from Pellegrino that had more than a few mutterings in the away section, however it worked, we took off a defensive player and brought on a player who seemed willing to run at the opposition and hit the final ball, five minutes later when Gabbiadini came on for Redmond we looked a different side.
When Yoshida fired home with 15 minutes left you felt that there would be only one winner and it looked that way for the next 10 minutes, however when Cedric slipped on the wet turf a rare Stoke attack saw them score what would be the winner.
Charlie Austin was thrown on and it was a frantic finale but it was too little too late and another defeat.
Saints are not a bad squad or a bad side, there is just something missing that the manager has not yet sorted out, we have the players to do so, but to be blunt the manager is now at a key point of his Saints career, he has o win a few games to show the fns that he has what it takes.
The issue is goals, but this game was like the others, it was not a question of chances missed, it was one of creating good chances and although 70% possession created 21 attempts on goal, only 3 were on target and Butland was rarely troubled.
The issue is all about creation, get that right and the goals will come.