Southampton boss Mark Hughes bemoaned the fact his side lacked belief during the Saints 3-0 home defeat to high flying Chelsea earlier today.
Striker Danny Ings and left-back Ryan Bertrand both missed excellent chances during crucial periods of the game, but each player lacked any type of conviction and both chances went begging.
Speaking after the game Hughes clearly felt that his players did not have enough faith in their ability to get something out of today’s fixture:
“We showed Chelsea too much respect and allowed their players time and space. We needed to get closer, to force them back but we never did that,” Hughes told BBC’s MOTD.
“We had a chance at 0-0 for Danny Ings, if that goes in we get a different frame of mind. We never got any momentum. Sometimes you have to be brave and we weren’t able to do that.
“Chelsea are playing well, and with confidence but I expect us to do better.
“Today, I have to say, I was disappointed in terms of our performance. We lacked the belief that we could get something out of this game. We performed well at Everton but have not made that level again.”