EVERY word Saints manager Russell Martin said after his side succumbed to a 5-1 defeat at home to Chelsea, who went second in the Premier League.

There was a fair share of booing at the end, did you understand that?

RM: I understand that people want their team to win and when they see such a big scoreline and a couple of goals we concede, I understand it.

So it's football, right? It's emotive and people feel so much about it, it's why it's such a special sport in this country and so big so I understand it.

I feel really proud of the players tonight. Some of the football they played, we played, 11 against 11 was amazing and we should have been 1-0 up.

We conceded such poor goals, a set play and a mistake, but the response was brilliant, we're so in the game, have good moments and hurt them with the ball.

They hurt us as well because they have top talent but I saw a team that looked confident and took the ball a lot in the press early on in the game.

We had a moment that changed the game because I thought we were in it, there were goals for us and then for an hour with 10 men we dug in so deep.

We took the ball under big pressure with 10 men still, defended, ran so hard and had a couple of big moments ourselves in the second half. 

There were some big performances and I'm proud of them for that and I'm grateful to them for that because that's not easy in that circumstance.

It would be so easy at that point to stop running a bit, stop wanting the ball but they didn't and there were some big performances.

I learned a lot about some people tonight and I thought Nathan Wood was outstanding on his debut, James Bree was excellent coming into the team for us.

Joe Aribo was the same, the guys that have come in from not playing so much were really outstanding and I'm proud of them for that.

Has your captain, Jack Stephens, let you down and let himself down?

RM: I've been asked this by every interviewer so I don't think it's a case of that. I don't think anyone has been as disappointed as Jack.

I haven't got to sit down with him and talk about that at all. I think he'll be hurt more than anyone but it's changed the game for us tonight which is disappointing.

It will be eight games he has not been available for now because of bans

RM: He's been amazing for us over the course of time so I'm disappointed for him, disappointed for us. Ultimately, it will hurt Jack more than anyone.

You defend the way you are trying to play but does it become increasingly harder?

RM: No, I think we have more moments that are really brilliant starting from the build-up that should end up in more.

But the one bit we get wrong really hurts us and the detail is not right. I think it also comes with a bit of a disrupted team. 

We have five guys sitting behind us in the dugout that we play tonight who are injured and suspended so of course the team looks a bit different. 

We can't make the mistakes and get away with it. If it was with the same people and the same mistakes then I'd be concerned but it's different. 

The team changes, it moves and now we have to make sure we avoid that again.

How do you expect the board to judge this performance given the players missing?

RM: Well, I hope in the same way it would judge any other performance. So we have to be realistic and put it in perspective.

We've played against one of the best teams in the country with 10 men for an hour but they see a team that is absolutely together and fighting so hard.

They show that in the way they run and want to take the ball for each other and for us and I think all I can ever ask is they do that.

They work as hard as they possibly can, try as hard as they can, fight as hard as they can and give everything they've got. I believe they're doing that.

Do you have a problem with the red card decision at all?

RM: No, by letter of the law. I've not seen it but they explained to me what happened. I don't think it should be described as violent conduct, it's not violent. 

But I think there's no other explanation for that really. So yeah, it's a moment of madness that's really cost us and has cost Jack.

How did your goalkeeper react to making a couple of mistakes?

RM: It's ifs and buts isn't it? I think Lummers made some brilliant saves tonight, some really brilliant saves and stayed brave with the ball.

He wanted the ball the same way that Ryan Manning did, Nathan Wood did, Kyle Walker-Peter, James Bree and so many of the team.

Mateus Fernandes, and Joe Aribo. They're six brilliant performances that I'm really pleased with and I think we just have to keep working and getting better.

The team has grown a lot in the last four or five weeks, objectively and subjectively. They're really together and a brilliant group to work with. 

Do you have to help them through those mistakes and keep them on the path?

RM: I think they feel more and more ready the longer we go, the more games they play, the more we compete like we have against top teams.

I've got no doubt about what they are capable of and I think they really believe that as well. They need to just keep growing and eventually, results will follow.

Do you think you just need a bit of luck in this game and this season?

RM: I don't like being unlucky or lucky. I think we've been unfortunate with some recent calls and stuff like that.

Subjectively and objectively, we should have more points on the board, so that's been really frustrating but we have to keep working.

We have to keep using the frustration that we feel from tonight and like I said, they have to just keep running and fight how they did.

I saw some incredible recovery runs and willingness to take the ball under big pressure tonight, which they will have to do regardless of the opposition.