FORMER Premier League striker Troy Deeney pointed the finger at Saints lurching from one play style to another to explain their relegation.

The St Mary's side were confirmed as the first club heading back to the Championship for next season after Sunday's 3-1 defeat to Spurs.

The result has led to the departure of high-press manager Ivan Juric, who replaced possession-obsessed Russell Martin in December. 

Deeney, who made 165 appearances in the top flight, believes this change in game model has played a big role in the club's failure. 

He told Match of the Day: "You're going from one philosophy to another, you're going playing out from the back to going and getting after it.

"It's not the same. I just worry for obviously being promoted into the Premier League twice, you know right we're not as good as these guys.

"Let's try and keep playing the way they did. When Brentford got promoted, since then have never ever been looked at as getting relegated.

"They had big Ivan Toney, they had Bryan Mbeumo, right are we playing out from the back? No, get it into the big man.

"We know what our strengths are. Go and do it. Nottingham Forest are doing that this year and there's other teams doing it.

"We're now in a position where everyone from the Champ comes up and goes, 'let's see how good we are and let's show how good we are'."

Deeney jibed: "Well, two years in a row now you're both (Burnley and Saints) back down there, so how well is that doing you?"