Ivan Juric’s scathing Southampton analysis is bad news for Flynn Downes | OneFootball

Ivan Juric was brutally honest, claiming that the substitutes did not do enough against Man United. Of them all, Flynn Downes was the standout worst performer.

Well well well. There's that familiar feeling, Saints fans. For the millionth time this season, Southampton dropped points from a winning position.

Despite the feeling being familiar, the result last night against Man United left a particular sting on Southampton. It is because Southampton didn't play badly, until they conceded the first goal late on. Then, the floodgates were open and Amad Diallo FC netted three goals in quick succession.

Southampton were the better team for most of the game. However, in the portion of the match which counted the most, they let slip. So, we cannot deny that being hammered 3-1 was a fair result.

Ivan Juric’s scathing Southampton analysis is bad news for Flynn Downes

Speaking after the match, Southampton boss Ivan Juric was very honest in his analysis. He spoke like any Southampton would speak, in disappointment towards the players introduced to the match.

In his own words, Juric said: "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."

Reading between the lines here, it could be that Juric was unhappy with how the subs (Smallbone, Downes, Armstrong, Wood, Onuachu) performed. They were stale and didn't add much to the game.

While the substitutions were made by Ivan Juric himself, the Croatian manager would have expected those players introduced to the match to make an impact and solidify the result for Man United. Instead, they did the opposite.

In my opinion, this was Flynn Downes' worst performance in a Southampton shirt. This says a lot, considering he played a little over 20 minutes. He gave the ball away for Amad's equaliser and, what's even worse, he prevented a header from being scored by Southampton.

Downes struggles for game-time as it is. Therefore, I do not think Ivan Juric's comments will be welcomed by Downes, especially after his performance last night.

Nevertheless, there is now a quick turnaround for Southampton, as they face Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon. Whether or not Downes, or any other Southampton disappointment, is seen remains the question until then.