By Gareth James
Nathan Jones has admitted he needs to turn things around quickly after his first Premier League home match as a manager ended in a disastrous 3-1 defeat for his club Southampton against Brighton.
The Welshman watched his club slip to the bottom of the table after being outclassed by Brighton at St Mary’s.
Having taken charge of Southampton just twice since his appointment on November 10 due to the break for the World Cup, Jones was hoping to oversee back-to-back wins after Tuesday’s narrow victory over Lincoln, but his players produced a disappointing performance on Boxing Day.
“We need to do certain things better and we will work religiously on that,” the Rhondda-born boss said after the defeat to the Seagulls.
“Normally clubs we’ve been at have an excellent defensive record and we have to change that. Everyone has to buy in and make sure we’re working hard, and maybe we will have to change things tactically too.
“We’ve had a month of training and no real games, Lincoln leading into this, but I thought we would be better today.
“We have to defend situations better. We gifted them two goals and that gives them confidence in what they do and they keep the ball well.
Southampton sit bottom of the Premier League
A huge job for Nathan Jones and a season saving January window needed#SaintsFC
— Tom Murray (@T214Murray) December 26, 2022
“We never really give ourselves a chance of winning the football game. We got a positive response from our half-time changes but again didn’t defend our box well enough. We didn’t do the basics well and didn’t deserve anything from the game.
“Southampton have only kept one clean sheet in 17 and that isn’t good enough. You won’t climb the table if you don’t keep clean sheets, you have to score two goals to win and at the minute we’re not doing that. We have to make sure we change it.”
Asked if he understands the concerns coming from the stands at St Mary’s with the potential of relegation looming over should matters not improve in the remaining 21 games, Jones gave an honest response.
“Absolutely, if you’re losing at home you want to be better,” he said. “We have to make sure we have a foothold in the game and at the moment we’re not giving ourselves a chance.
“Goals change games, momentum and attitudes and that is what has happened today. They put a hopeful ball in, a soft header and it’s gone in – and then you think, this is the Premier League, it shouldn’t happen.
“They put a ball in again and then we score an own goal. We haven’t defended our box well all season and that has to change.”
Brighton, who welcomed back several stars from the winter tournament in Qatar, looked authoritative throughout and took control of the scoreline in the first half thanks to some calamitous Southampton defending.
Former Saints captain Adam Lallana put Brighton ahead on 14 minutes when he smartly headed in Solly March’s inswinging cross, although Gavin Bazunu somehow managed to let the ball slip through his hands. Ten minutes before half-time Brighton made it two when Romain Perraud bundled a Pervis Estupinan cross into his own net (35).
Not the first Premier League home game Nathan Jones was hoping for…
An own goal.
Southampton 0-2 Brighton#BBCFootball #SOUBRI pic.twitter.com/HpvpVQ4fsK
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 26, 2022
Southampton, who were loudly booed off at the break, improved at the start of the second half but March soon restored Brighton’s dominance when his stunning left-footed strike from outside the box whistled past Bazunu to give the visitors a deserved 3-0 lead (56).
Southampton did pull a goal back when James Ward-Prowse nodded in the rebound after his initial penalty had been saved by Robert Sanchez (73), but the hosts had given themselves too much ground to make up.
The game finished 3-1 and the result was a firm indicator of the situation both teams find themselves in.
Brighton are up to sixth in the table, just two points behind fifth-placed Manchester United, while Southampton drop to the bottom of the table following Wolves’ 2-1 win at Everton.