Ralph Hasenhüttl declared Southampton’s performance “simply not good” after Brighton boosted their Premier League survival hopes with a 2-1 victory at St Mary’s.
Saints fell behind to Lewis Dunk’s first-half header before drawing level through an excellent volleyed finish from Ché Adams, as the striker netted for the third successive game.
But Hasenhüttl was frustrated with how his team responded after half-time, as Leandro Trossard struck the winner on 56 minutes in a second period in which Saints struggled to create opportunities.
“It was simply not good, especially in the second half,” he said, in an honest post-match assessment.
“We had only one or two chances against a team that were fighting for everything and showed a little bit more effort than we did, I think, in some moments. It is not enough.
“They are fighting for relegation and we think we are safe, but I think we should pay attention because when we play like this we will not win a lot of games, that is for sure.
“I think we all should do better in the future, and that is the goal for the next weeks: to work hard for getting back to the way we could play.”
Saints do not play again in the Premier League for three weeks. Next up is the Emirates FA Cup quarter-final at Bournemouth, before the international break gives many players some time to recharge.
“At first we have the game on the weekend in the cup, and if we play like this we will have no chance. We must do it much better,” Hasenhüttl added.
“We will lose a few players to the international break, but we still have time to work on a few things, and this is important for us.”
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