Southampton

Maya Yoshida: 'Situation worse now than under Claude Puel'

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 27 December 2017

Maya Yoshida concedes that "the situation is even worse" at Southampton under Mauricio Pellegrino than it was during the tenure of predecessor Claude Puel.

Southampton defender Maya Yoshida has insisted that "everyone has to take responsibility" for the club's disappointing run of form.

The Saints are just two points above the relegation zone after going seven games without a win, most recently shipping five goals away to Tottenham Hotspur this week.

Pressure has slowly grown on boss Mauricio Pellegrino, who was brought in to replace Claude Puel during the summer following last season's eighth-place finish.

Yoshida believes that the players are equally to blame for results, though, and concedes that Southampton are in a worse state now than they were at any stage under Puel.

"We can't pass on responsibility to anyone else - to the manager, teammates, the club. That's easy," Sky Sports News quotes him as saying. "Everyone has to take responsibility.

"Claude Puel was fired last season because the club wasn't satisfied. But the situation is even worse now. So just sacking the manager is clearly not always the best choice. But it is not my decision, it is a club decision."

Southampton, whose only victory since the end of October came against Everton last month, return to action on Saturday evening with a home match against Manchester United.