Russell Martin was left disappointed after Southampton’s statement against Blackburn Rovers, who remain in a relegation battle.
The South Coasters have faltered over the Easter period and any hopes of a top-two finish are now pretty much dead and buried.
Having drawn to Middlesbrough before suffering a late defeat to Ipswich Town, they simply had to win at Ewood Park to stand any chance of automatic promotion.
Despite controlling the proceedings for much of the encounter, as they often do, it was without any real potency and they lacked creativity.
Of late, their defensive woes have been the Achilles heel, but on Saturday, it was the total opposite, which surprised Martin.
Russell Martin disappointed with Southampton’s decision-making
After the goalless draw at Blackburn, which left Southampton 12 points adrift of second-placed Ipswich, Martin shared what most ‘disappointed’ him.
“The mentality to defend was good but I was really disappointed with the side we have been so good with, with the creativity,” The Saints boss said.
“We broke the press but were too slow and let them get back. We lacked purpose until the last half hour, when the game looked more like it should.
“We didn’t create or test the goalkeeper enough for the quality we have, and that is frustrating, but credit to Blackburn for the way they fought.
“It was down to decision-making, we had two brilliant chances in the first half,” Martin added.
“It’s a lack of decision-making in the last bit and we didn’t have the willingness to give the ball up in the final third.
“I don’t know why, I will watch it back and we will have a look. We asked them to bring the other side of the game and they did.”
Southampton resigned to a play-off campaign
Southampton will now almost certainly have to prepare for a play-off campaign after failing to win any of their last three fixtures.
With seven games still to play for, Martin can’t allow any complacency to creep in and he must set a new target for his players.
Naturally, without a realistic goal to achieve, performances may start to drop off somewhat as they gear themselves up for what will commence after the 46-game season comes to a close.
Southampton need to head into the playoffs with momentum, and of late, they’ve been completely lost that.
Saints must produce a positive showing on Tuesday, as they play host to top-six hopefuls Coventry City.