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Southampton V Watford The Verdict

After only one defeat in 7 months at St Mary's, suddenly we have rolled out the red carpet and welcome sign to visiting sides as we again gifted the game for our second defeat in four days at home.

After the Newcastle game although it was a disappointment, there was a feeling that we had played well and given it our best shot, after this game there was only a feeling that we had got everything wrong we possibly could have got wrong.

Firstly there was the line up, we congested up the midfield and played only one up front with Broja dropping to the bench.

This was clearly not working from the outset, it was hard to see just what we were trying to achieve here, although we almost went ahead with Watford needing to clear a header off the line.

But it was clear that we were too casual, we weren't working hard enough and too many players just weren't at the races, this proved to be the case in the 14th minute when we casually knocked the ball from Forster to Benarek and then to Salisu who under no real pressure hit a short back pass that left Forster stranded and enabled Hernandez to round the keeper and slot home.

It got worse 20 minutes later when Romain Perraud left Hernandez completely unmarked at the far post and he fired home from close range, perhaps Forster should have done a little better here although the shot was hit with force and he had little time to react.

But it could have been worse and Forster needed to come out and block when Watford had a man through on him one on one.

A goal from Elyounoussi on the stroke of half time roused the crowd and gave hope for the second half, surely we could not play as badly after the break.

Ralph made a change in the interval bringing on Broja for Smallbone and restoring two up top, but it made little difference, Broja tried hard but could make little impact, even when changing to three at the back with Oriol Romeu dropping in between Salisu & Bednarek.

Our passing and movement was laboured and we still lacked any sort of urgency.

With 16 minutes left on came Redmond and we reverted back to 4-4-2, it made little difference although Redmond did have a good run and cross that saw Che Adams force the keeper into a great save.

You always felt that if we got an equaliser we would win the game as it would surely kick us back into gear, but it never happened.

Strangely in my opinion was the fact that Adam Armstrong didn't get on the pitch after his lively cameo on Thursday, we needed his running and ability to get on the end of through balls, but the change never came.

Suddenly in the space of a week we have gone from the form team of the Premier League to two straight defeats and that is worrying, especially since in two of those games we just weren't at the races and of the 8 goals conceded most were avoidable and the result of lapses in concentration and poor defending.

Ralph made a mistake in this game in his selections and substitutions, it wasn't his first mistakes, it won't be his last, but show me a manager who hasn't got it wrong from time to time.

We can come back from this, we now need to use this performance to motivate us for the Manchester City cup tie, perhaps the players themselves had one eye on that game, this game was a disappointment, but it was a set back and not a disaster, we still hold 10th place, but we could have really put some daylight between us and the chasing pack.

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