EVERY word Saints manager Ivan Juric said about his side's performance and more following their 3-1 Premier League defeat at Manchester United.


Brilliant for so long, where did that go wrong?

IJ: I think we did really good for 70, 75 minutes and then we had really bad managing the game. You cannot play 95 minutes at the same level.

There is a moment that you have to manage things differently, win the free throws, win the fall. We lost some ball in the middle and I didn't like it. It's really a pity and a shame that we play like this and lose the game.


With hindsight, would you change anything you did in the last 20 minutes?

IJ: I have to be honest, I expected a little bit more of everybody when they came in. They have to give us more energy, more intensity.

As a team, we did a really good game, everything was almost perfect but we had to score more goals. Then there is a moment you have to be a little bit more evil, I can say, manage the game differently. We didn't do that.


Is it the hope that kills you? How difficult is it going to be to lift everybody?

IJ: No, no, it has to be like a positive thing for us. If they can play like this against Manchester United, that they are competitive, they can play every game.

I think the guys understand that we have to work harder to get fit even more. and we will see in the next game, I want to repeat the same game.


Was that Kamaldeen Sulemana's best performance for Saints?

IJ: Since I arrived here, he's working well. I think he had quality. I don't know why in these two years he didn't express himself. Now he has to just continue playing like this. He's really good.


Tyler Dibling went off, has there been any assessment on him?

IJ: We will see tomorrow. He had a problem with his ankle.


Were your problems to do with mentality more than anything else?

IJ: I'm from Italy and we are like the best in the world in the mentality. How to win the game. To my players, they are missing this thing.

That you are playing well, that you are confident and moving the ball, have lots of chances. But there is a moment when you have to be Italian.

Lose the time, some foul, free throw, go back a little bit more, waiting for the right moment and we miss that. We are like kids, we are playing well and then they score.


How do you get your players to play like that?

IJ: I will show them the situations. I will show the situation when you have to do other things than they did in the last 15 minutes.