Not the three points we really needed, but it was a battling display, although it ran out of steam in the final quarter of the game.

To not win the game was a big set back in our quest to avoid relegation, but it is still not terminal and on the plus side there was enough fight out there in the side to suggest that we could yet pull out a miracle in the final four games of the season.

No one could say that Saints did not get stuck in and if we had showed these commitment levels in the most part of this season then we might not be in this predicament.

For 70 minutes we matched Leicester in a game where there were few real chances at either end our best ones falling to Shane Long who in the first half seemed to get tangled up when put through in a good position and then in the second when his effort was well saved.

Solid defending saw the home side have a lot of second half possession in our half and them not only run at us with pace, but put balls in the box and in the main we coped well.

The big disappointment though was the lack of a grandstand finish, you thought that having dug in and took a grip of the game that the final 20 minutes would see us try to get all three points.

But that was not the case, for me and many around me it was baffling why James Ward Prowse was taken off, he seemed to be winning a lot of the ball in the midfield and using it well, when he went off on the hour mark we seemed to lose something both defending and going forward.

Austin coming on with 17 to go was predictable, but like for like with Shane Long was not really changing things although Long had again run himself into the ground.

We waited in anticipation for the third substitution, I am not as big a critic of Tadic as some, but he was clearly spent, he was the obvious choice to be replaced in the final ten minutes and we would go for it, sadly we didn't and Nathan Redmond coming on for Hojbjerg was nothing more than running down the clock with a couple of minutes to go.

I have to say I was disappointed with Mark Hughes in that we seemed content to hold on to a point instead of having a good go in the final minutes and throw caution to the wind, indeed it wasn't even really gambling Redmond for Tadic was the clear substitution with ten minutes to go, fresh legs were needed and there wasn't a change made early enough.

But we have to take the plus points from this and that was a clean sheet and a battling display, in essence nothing has changed, we still need to win three games, one of them has to be Swansea, something has to break the circle surrounding us, perhaps in this season it will be something as simple as pure desperation in the run in.

Photo: Action Images

LoisDeem added 09:34 - Apr 20 Yes, Long and JWP should have been left on when Austin arrived, we should have been properly going for it. Story of the season, too little too late, too scared to score. Hopefully, the mindset might be somewhat different in a one off match?
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REEDYREEDOREEDZ added 10:19 - Apr 20 The way the game fizzled out for Saints in the last half an hour was a real dissapointment. The midfield stopped finding thier passes and we had nothing going forward. Hughes needed to change it with at least 20 minutes to go. Needed to bring on probably Sims and Redmond at this point, not Steven Davis which was just like for like, and take off a centre back. We needed to give it a go in the last 20 but we had nothing. Another wasted opportunity, Leicester were there for the taking.

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wibbersda added 10:30 - Apr 20 A very hard game. Who would have thought Leicester would play like their lives depended on it. Puel face throughout showed that he really is quite bitter and angry about Saints. Les and Ralf looked nervous and anxious, and rightly so. Still, plus points were a clean sheet for once and team with fight. Beat the Swans and Cherries and we may just do it and I am finally believing it is possible. COYS

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DorsetIan added 10:57 - Apr 20 I wasn't there but listening to the commentary was extremely frustrating. I understand his reasons, but Hughes has clearly taken the decision not to place any reliance on our 'fancy dans', Lemina, Boufel, Redmond etc and gone for the sort of typical British solidity, back to basics type approach. But if he does that he still needs to find the goals from somewhere, and swapping JWP for Davis (who is match cold) and then Long for Austin (who has no pace) was not going to win us the game. And we should have been trying to win that game. Next problem. 70 mins. What is it about our endgame. We are going to be in trouble against Bournemouth if we can't last the 90 - look how many late ones they score. Hughes. Played 4. 1 point. I'lll stick my neck out - Pellegrino would have got us at least 3 points from these games. The team are now playing with much more spirit but we brought Hughes in to keep up us. We won't remember the team's spirit when we go down. Maybe there was no one else available but, so far, he's been yet another of this season's flops, as far as I am concerned. Am now looking forward to Wembley even more than I was before...

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SanMarco added 11:06 - Apr 20 We have missed an enormous opportunity in the last few games. Very tough fixtures on paper but very beatable performances from obliging opponents - but just 1 point. Fantasy survival scenarios must now centre on Huddersfield and/or Brighton not getting another point. Swansea are the only other feasible option. Saturday 28th will be a massive day. If the results all go well then we are back in it. That means, of course, that Bournemouth on that day is the first must win that REALLY is a must win!!!

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birminghamsaint added 11:38 - Apr 20 Based on that performance and tactics (and I can understand why Hughes wants to protect our centre backs) we are going down without question. The only player with any pace whatsoever was Shane Long but the predictable long ball to him was easily dealt with on most occasions. Hoiberg and Romeu are too similar and if Davis makes an unlikely miraculous return to top form, replacing one of them might improve the link up play. Little evidence of a back 5 helping the full backs to overlap. I'm not the greatest fan of Redmond but at least he gives us another outlet for going forward. Tadic put in his usual performance. If I was on medication I would start taking more of it.

2

fedupsaint added 11:57 - Apr 20 Pointless analysing the game imo. We were down before Hughes came in. How can he be expected to turn things around with the same players and win the games we need to in such a short period when we haven’t won a game in months?
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saintjf added 12:21 - Apr 20 At least the team seem motivated and got a point. Whether they are fit enough to last a whole game is another matter. On sunny day like today it is difficult to believe we are down and we are not, yet. I keep clinging on against all logic and only time will tell. I will now start worrying about Sunday. I do think Hughes is alright and I do feel he has some emotion for the club.

1

saintpp added 13:03 - Apr 20 We all know we needed 3 points but another loss would have been a disaster for confidence esp with the semi final coming up. This wasnt the game to throw caution to the wind and as Hughes said the time for throwing everything at it is coming. The next three or four are the real must win games he knows that and im sure we will see the evidence in team selection and tactics.

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DorsetIan added 13:39 - Apr 20 Fair play to Hughes, if that's his plan. Pick up a point at Leicester, win the next three and then maybe nick a point against City. 11 points. Job done. Let's hope he's worked out all his angles.
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BoondockSaint added 14:00 - Apr 20 Not really a surprise result. Saints don't have forwards who can score = 0 Puel's usual negative tactics = 0
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landsdownsaint added 14:54 - Apr 20 We’re going down but I’d like to see Hughsie stay next season & bring his players in but I’m sure he will want a job in the prem , really frustrating knowing that if he’d been in place a little earlier we probably wouldn’t be in this position
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underweststand added 15:11 - Apr 20 At least we kept a clean sheet, and the defence had less problems against a re-vamped Leicester side than they did in the previous two games. Our efforts in the Arsenal/Chelsea games showed more fight than last night's bore-draw in the sweltering conditions, at least we didn't lose, although Leicester never looked like winning either. If the "failed three " (mentioned in the other thread) don't play again this season then it's up to last night's squad who have had 3 tough games in 11 days at the back-end of a bad season seems to have taken its toll, but it remains to be seen if we can regain some respect and make it through to the Cup Final, but we all know the only important results are the remaining games in the Prem.

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GeordieSaint added 15:22 - Apr 20 The hope has got to be that Swansea are even more terrible than us over 38 games. I f they get hammered off City and Chelsea and we beat Bournemouth we will be against them only 1 point behind with a better goal difference. On the bright side, if we go down we might actually get a bit of team spirit back instead of some players who have clearly only put any graft in when they thought Liverpool or Spurs might be watching.

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pete_boggs added 17:41 - Apr 20 Is Reed selling Prowsey (he looks much better with these on) specs now?
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Boxingman75 added 18:07 - Apr 20 Some deluded comments on here , last night was pathetic , Leicester were there to be beaten , a keeper who hasn't played for 3 and a half years , 2 debut teens and a switched off Leicester team . absolutely ridiculous people think we can win 3 games out of the last 4 , we've not won for months and have won 5 out of 34 so where is the streak gonna come from ? We won't get out of this and led reed needs to be made accountable and sacked , has appointed 2 useless managers and bought a bunch of useless players , no one else would get away with it so why should he

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AussieSaint added 11:49 - Apr 21 Huddersfield and Brighton’s run in is tough and I can’t see them getting anymore points so that’s our target....37/38
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