In the 22nd round of the Premier League this evening, Southampton played away to Nottingham Forest and lost 2-3. After the match, Southampton team leader Juric faced the camera of the match of the day, and talked about his insights on this duel.
Juric was open and honest about the shortcomings of the first half: "In the first half, it was as if we had lost our soul, our sense of competitiveness was completely absent. The result was so obvious. We gave it everything we had, but the defense was negligent and allowed the other team to score two goals. These two goals were a joke and I will not allow such a ridiculous first half to repeat itself."
He revealed that communication with the players at halftime was limited to a brief reminder, "I did not have a long talk with the players at halftime because we are a team hungry for a win, but if we fall behind too much in a game, then the competitiveness is gone. The players need to reflect on themselves and make adjustments."
Juric, however, was positive about the second half performance: "In the second half, we were transformed and scored two goals in a row. Although Einar's shot was parried by the goalkeeper, our awakening in the attacking end was obvious. Against Manchester United and in the second half tonight, we really proved ourselves."
However, Juric also pointed out the team's pitfalls: "It's a shame that we're not ready for the full 90 minutes. We must improve our focus and consistency throughout the game and not show true competitiveness only in the second half. We will learn from this game and try to improve the overall strength of the team."
