Southampton boss Nathan Jones insisted that he has gone back to basics and denies shifting blame for their poor form. After Saints suffered their sixth loss in seven Premier League games under Jones on Saturday at the Gtech Community Stadium, the manager admitted he felt he had “compromise in terms of some ideals” because of “personnel,” “fans,” and “the way people want to play.” Before moving to St. Mary’s, Jones said he had “gone away” from the things that had made him successful at Luton, but he claimed, “I’m not going to do that again.” At a fans’ conference this week, Martin Semmens, Southampton’s chief executive, acknowledged that he did not appreciate Jones’ remarks and that, although supporting the Welshman, he could understand why some believed the manager was attempting to deflect attention from himself.
“I wasn’t at all doing that. I was actually acting in the opposite way. I was taking full responsibility for all outcomes,” Southampton boss Nathan Jones said. “In what I said, I claimed that I had compromised daily decisions that I make for myself. Nobody puts any pressure on me. As I do at every other club, I pay attention to people. However, I am defined by my choices. That doesn’t include assigning blame. In fact, I thought I was being too straightforward because I always took full responsibility for everything.”
“Although I’m upset with the outcomes, I know that our team is working hard behind the scenes. That led to my recruitment. This club set goals for specific statistics,” he added. “I am aware of how well we manage our football team. I am aware that people change with time. We are thorough, I know that. I am confident in our tactical prowess. It’s just difficult to support that if we don’t see any results. I can only reassure them by saying that on the practice field, we work hard and perform well. Usually, I can provide evidence to support that. There are several aspects that seem unnecessary and a little unjust. However, the level of inspection increases as you advance.”
For more football news, click here
