In Nathan Jones mind this return to St Mary's was always going to be his cup final, his chance to show that Southampton FC were wrong to sack him and that he was a good manager after all, I can see that, but he should have let his football do the talking rather than his mouth.

Those who watched the game against Charlton, saw a side arriving at St Mary's to do a job and it was not a pretty sight, they made no attempt to take the game to Saints and when they had a point in sight, they tried every under hand method to ensure they got it.

It was hard to remember a team that came to St Mary's with such a negative attitude and that came from their manager.

Nathan Jones was not only still smarting from his sacking from the managers job at St Mary's, he was also smarting from his team having been taken to the cleaners on their own patch a few months ago.

That meant that his first return was never going to be pretty to watch, it was never going to be about playing football, it was always going to be about watching his side be well organised and drilled, but practising the dark arts of football to get a result.

If ever a little bell should have rung in Jones little head about why he was indeed sacked from his job after just three months in charge (effectively two because of the mid season break for the World Cup) then this was it, it was not just about results but the way you achieve them.

Having achieved his aim though, he could not just walk away and talk about his team, he had a grudge to bear and he was going to get it off his chest.

After the game he had this to say.

"Tactically, we were really good. When I was here, I demonstrated we were tactically good," said Jones, speaking after the match.

"I can't remember the last time you beat Man City, that this club beat Man City. I can't remember the last time they kept a clean sheet against Man City."

This was of course in reference to his Carabao Cup win over Manchester City in January 2023, a 2-0 win over essentially a weakened City side in the Carabao Cup, with goals by Sekou Mara & Moussa Djenepo.

For the record Saints last kept a clean sheet against a full Manchester City side last season in a 0-0 draw at St Mary's.

He then went further:

"And I can't remember the last time we got to a Carabao Cup semi-final. So, tactically, we know we're good, and we had to demonstrate that today.

"I've got no affiliation here, really, I was here for a brief time. I think I spent more time in Starbucks than I have at this football club."

What strange outburst ! Jones is right that he has no affiliation at this football club and to be fair after his disastrous spell in charge, this club and it's supporters have no affiliation with him.

From the very start the supporters felt that he was the wrong man, perhaps it was unfair on him to judge him without giving him much of a chance, but it soon became clear that the initial judgement was not far off the truth.

The fact that he is coming back here and celebrating his side's performance by trying to liken it to the job he did at St Mary's is bizarre, he is trying to make out that he was doing a good job here, that he took us to a League cup semi final, that he was the architect of that cup run.

Clearly that 2-0 win over Manchester City is the highlight of his career, proof that he was a good manager, the fact that he was sacked a month later with a record in the Premier League that saw him in charge for 8 Premier League games of which he lost 7 and won just 1, is forgotten by him.

Yes we were a struggling side, but we weren't as bad as the table looked, he had some good players, he should have done better than he did.

This was a part of history that Southampton supporters want to forget and in the main they have, he is rarely mentioned in conversation, no one wished him any real ill will, the blame was put towards the club, not Jones.

Perhaps that also upsets him, not only are we not giving him any credit for his greatest ever triumph, but we have forgotten him, so he had to make an impression.

Well if making an impression is about putting out one of the most negative spoiling sides seen at St Mary's and I am talking about his Charlton team on Saturday here and not one he managed for us 3 years ago, then he has achieved the first part of that on the field.

He has achieved the second part of it by his outburst, he has come back into our memories and we remember a petty man who ranted and raved at his players, if we needed a reminder that Sport Republic don't get all decisions wrong this was it, they made a mistake in appointing him, but they certainly did not make a mistake in sacking him.

This isn't his first outburst against a former club, when Charlton beat Stoke at the Valley a week or so ago, he fired out a similar outburst.

"It has been an emotional night for me so I wanted to get off the pitch as soon as possible or I'd have got myself in trouble.

"They (Stoke fans) have given me stick ever since I was there. I mean Stoke fans gave me stick when I was there. So I expect that."

So it seems that Nathan Jones wins no friends wherever he manages, Stoke fans are certainly not admirers, I suspect that Luton Town supporters are not that keen on him either, he dumped them for Stoke and after returning to Kenilworth Road with his tail between his legs, he dumped them again to join Saints.

By all accounts Charlton fans are not convinced by his management style either.

Gordon Strachan when manager of Southampton was once asked the question as to what he thought was a measure of success as a manager at a club , ever the wit he replied, " To still be able to live in the area after you have left the club"

I would doubt that Jones would be able to live in Stoke or Southampton and South East London is fast joining that select band.

Good luck to Nathan Jones, I wish him no real ill will, in truth he was only a minor part in that relegation season, he was out of his depth, it wasn't his fault for the other 30 Games we played in the Premier League that season.

All Photos Via Reuters