Saints boss Mark Wotte was remaining realistic after the conclusion of his side's final Championship fixture - a match that seemed all too familiar…
Saints took a 1-0 lead in the first half when Bradley Wright-Phillips coolly stroked Adam Lallana's through-ball into the back of the net, but then imploded in the final twenty minutes to end the year with a 3-1 defeat.
"I thought the game reflected the season," Wotte said. "We could play some fantastic passing football, and controlled the game for 70 minutes, but still lost 3-1!
"It's a ridiculous result if you saw the game, but it's why we are in the bottom three. We had a great chance with Jason Euell in the first minute and we should have scored then, but I was pleased when we did take the lead.
"Suddenly after it was 1-1 we didn't pick up Joe Garner with the set-piece. I think we tried to show the fans what we are capable of, but we were not ruthless enough and that has cost us a lot of points this season.
 "It's a ridiculous result if you saw the game, but it's why we are in the bottom three." |
"Maybe it's immatutrity, maybe tiredness….JP Saeijs had a groin injury so came off, but he really wanted to play, and Morgan Schneiderlin was injured. Forest scored a nice goal, but we should have been two or three up by then.
"If you have seen us play this year we have a lot of young talent and we pass and move well and create a lot of chances, but we didn't have enough cutting edge up front and gave it away. I was proud of them today for 70 minutes though."
Saints lack of 'cutting edge' has ultimately cost them their place in the Championship this season, and with the club's financial situation still uncertain, Wotte is saying that it is now a case of waiting for news.
"Now we have wait for decisions from the Administrator over whether he can sell the club to interested parties, but until then we are going to plan pre-season. The players are in tomorrow and then they go on holiday, but after that we just wait for news.
"Until that comes, no one can do anything because if the club is sold then the new buyers will be in charge and we will have to see what ideas they have to take the club forward."
And whilst he refused to be drawn on what lies in store for many of the current Saints squad, one player's future has already been decided.
"The squad for next season depends completely on any investors' plans," he continued "so until we know about that there's not much more I can say.
"If nobody buys the club then maybe we will have to sell a lot of players to survive on the financial side and work with the squad that's remaining.
"Romain Gasmi will go back to France though," Wotte revealed. "We are not going to extend his option because he didn't show that much this season. Also he is too expensive because we would have to buy him if we wanted to keep him.
"He played some excellent games for the Reserves, so you hope for one or two moments like that, but he didn't perform when he had his chances in the first team.
"I think five or six players were being watched today by Premier League or Championship clubs and some have made enquiries. You could see the quality of the players today, but we have to look at the near future.
"In a couple of weeks I think we will have a much cleared picture of the situation and hopefully we can build to come back as quickly as possible. The sooner the better."
