Southampton Boss Mark Hughes Hits Out at Side's Sloppy Start as Saints Slump to 6-1 Man City Defeat
Southampton manager Mark Hughes bemoaned his side's sluggish start against Manchester City on Sunday, which saw the Saints concede three goals in less than 20 minutes before eventually losing 6-1.
A Wesley Hoedt own goal after just six minutes was a sign of things to come fro Hughes' side, who quickly went three down after Sergio Agüero and David Silva found the net. The Saints rallied and pulled a goal back through Danny Ings' penalty, but Sterling's second goal on the brink of half-time killed any hope of a fightback.
Southampton started the second half brightly, but they were unable to add to their first half goal, and efforts from Sterling and Sané sealed a triumphant win for the hosts.
Speaking in the wake of the defeat, via Sky Sports, Hughes criticised his side for conceding so early in the match, and said: "That is the game gone right from the outset [when they first conceded]. Any other work you have prepared and the game plan you want to implement goes out the window.
"It is difficult when you are down. You can't over-commit because Man City have the ability to run over the top of you and it gets even more embarrassing. The scoreline is not a result we take any pride in, but the fact we were trying to create chances when the game was gone shows the character was good."
Hughes continued: "The disappointment for us is that if we were a little bit resolute, and better defensively collectively, not just the guys at the back, I thought we caused them problems going forwards. It could have made the score-line a little more palatable, we were never going to win after the start we gave them."
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The Saints have now gone seven Premier League matches without a win, and have slipped to 16th place in the table - just two points away from the relegation zone. Hughes' men face Watford at home next weekend, and will be under a great deal of pressure to deliver a positive result to St. Mary's crowd desperate to see their side finally kickstart their season.
