A late goal in stoppage time ended Southampton's resolve against Millwall at the Den on Saturday, and handed Tonda Eckert his first defeat as Interim Manager.
Millwall were everything that Saints expected. They were tough and direct. They overloaded the flanks and got crosses in to Ivanovic who gave the back three a thorough examination in the air. They won the first ball and they won the second. If Southampton were the better side, Millwall would not let them show it.
When Southampton went ahead it was very much against the run of play. Only the referee saw the tussle and the subsequent pull on Taylor Harwood-Bellis' shirt that led to Saints being awarded a penalty.
Eckert's in-game management raises questions
When Adam Armstrong duly dispatched the penalty, and exorcised any lingering doubts from his penalty miss agaisnst Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, Eckert might have expected his team to see the game out. They didn't.
As Southampton dropped deeper, Millwall took advantage. Cameron Bragg, who was having a very good game, was inexplicably replaced by Romeu when adding a third central midfielder might have been a better tactical decision.
Jay Robinson may not have been presenting his team with the pressure relief valve that Léo Scienza offers but he was always a potential threat. Replacing Robinson with Joe Aribo cannot afford to be a mistake that Eckert makes again.
Aribo was a passenger, riding on the back of a team 'maxed out,' to use Eckert's own description of Oriol Romeu's 15 minute cameo. In the 34 (including stoppage time) minutes that Aribo featured, he had only 15 touches. He was wasteful in possession, made no tackles or interceptions, and received the lowest rating of any player on the pitch.
Aribo response draws attention
Eckert's effusive reaction to a question from the Daily Echo about Aribo is therefore more than a little concerning. The German told the Echo, “I am very happy with Joe. He has been excellent every time he has come on, and he is in very good shape.“
Ryan Fraser's introduction compounded Southampton's defensive problems, despite being an understandable substitution. With the scores level at 1-1, Eckert can be forgiven for chasing the three points, at 2-2 - perhaps less so.
Fraser completed just two out of five passes and that's simply not good enough when a team is trying to manage the game. The Scotsman had just 9 touches and made no (statistical) defensive or attacking contributions. Both the second and third goals came from Millwall attacks that started on the right hand side.
Not that anybody is blaming Fraser, Romeu, or Aribo for Southampton's defeat. Trying to find a scapegoat in defeat is a fool's paradise.
Eckert's Southampton have not suffered this sort of pressure since their trip to QPR, where they hung on for their first win under the interim boss. They looked uncomfortable then; they looked uncomfortable on Saturday.
Better options for seeing games out are obvious
Surely, there are better options for managing the game out? Packing the midfield and playing five at the back might have been an option.
Whatever the solution, the junger Anführer (young leader) must find one, and quickly. Opposition analysts from Birmingham, West Brom, and Norwich will surely look to replicate Millwall's style and make Southampton suffer again next week.
Eckert may complain that his side deserved more from the chances they created but Millwall always looked like the side that could come out on top of this encounter.
One bright spot was Eckert's acknowledgement of the travelling support. His face always lights up when he is asked about the fans. After the match he told Sky Sports, “The support was outstanding. We win, we lose together.“