Ivan Juric regrets substitution call that paved way to Crystal Palace's comeback | OneFootball

Ivan Juric confesses his last-minute Onuachu substitution weakened Southampton's ability to defend aerial duels which Palace utilized, scoring the 1-1 equaliser.

Tell me, how is this that Southampton's every latest event turns out to be a divisive one? Now, I get it, it's common human tendency to deep delve into both an action's pros and cons, but still, this feels more than a coincidence now.

While the ongoing Tyler Dibling saga had already the St. Mary's faithful divided in opinions, the latest Crystal Palace game followed suit.

Notably, most of the fanbase is frustrated by dropping points, but some are just relieved to have salvaged one.

Now, sure, the second group’s happiness is justified. The club outperformed expectations. But dropping two points instead of claiming all three? That stings. Especially, when the Saints played an almost-perfect game from the beginning to the end.

But, as they say, 'Victory needs no explanation, defeat allows none to be enough.' And at St. Mary’s, many now suspect that a late call from Ivan Juric cost them the win.

Ivan Juric's Onuachu substitution crashes Southampton's win hopes

Post-match, Juric admitted that subbing off Paul Onuachu played a role in Palace’s comeback. With the tall forward subbed off right before stoppage time, Southampton lost their aerial presence, allowing Matheus França to snatch the late equalizer.

As quoted by the Daily Echo, Juric confessed the mistake, saying: "They were good with the cross, and we lost a little bit of height in this moment without Paul (Onuachu) and Flynn (Downes)."

But, hey, this isn’t the first time Southampton has collapsed late, nor the first instance of a costly Juric substitution.

Well, this is quite clear now, even if Juric is serious about the Saints' managerial role, he is simply not able to prove it. The message is clear, once these last eight games are done, Southampton and Juric must part ways.

For now, Juric has avoided individual embarrassment with this Crystal Palace home draw. Let’s just hope he can help Southampton do the same, guiding them past the dreaded 11-point mark.