An emotional day at Goodison Park for Everton supporters, but for those Saints fans who made the trip to Merseyside, it was about watching their team sink to yet another toothless defeat.

Simon Rusk has done a job as temporary manager, he has steadied the ship and in the main stopped us getting slaughtered as was happening under Ivan Juric.

But he has shown no real ambition to do something different and try to win games, again we started with 5 defenders and no actual strikers in the starting line up.

Everton as expected came out of the traps like an express train roared on by a partisan crowd and we looked like rabbits in the headlights, they could have been 1-0 up before they actually did go ahead after only 6 minutes, they were tearing us apart and it looked like we might get put to the sword, only some good goalkeeping and VAR saved us.

For the first 30 mins we were getting ripped apart and the slowest defence in the Premier League was second to every ball.

Keeping it up was going to be difficult for the home side and it looked like we might get into the break just a goal behind, but once again we couldn't keep it tight in the final minutes and conceded a second well into injury time, every Saints fan now knew the game was over.

In the second half we did make a fist of it, but you have to ask why Big Les Ugochukwu spent the entire game on the bench, he was perhaps the only player we had with the pace, strength and power that could have matched Everton, but we stuck with Joe Aribo & Flynn Downes, who will be assets in the Championship but are a yard too slow in The Premier.

We made 3 changes on the hour and in fairness to Rusk they were positive ones, we had two strikers on the pitch in Cameron Archer and Ross Stewart and with Nathan Wood going off at the back and Will Smallbone coming on in the centre of midfield we created chances and we could have got a goal back Jordan Pickford having to make a great save to keep a clean sheet.

But although we were now matching Everton and looking fairly comfortable, you felt that the home side had now dropped a gear and were content to give a few of their players a game in wat was a big occasion for them.

Our last two subs were youngsters with Robinson and Sanda coming on, the latter being a central defender and he looked big and strong and was one of the few plus points of the game, he looked assured and was actually talking to those around them and pointing out players to mark etc, something that only seems to get done in hindsight with our defenders these days.

At the end we were just glad to get away from Goodison with not too much damage, at the end the team came over and acknowledged the fans, they got a mixed reception, there were some very audibly booing of them, but it was silenced by those clapping, that is clapping and not cheering, no one was celebrating, but most Saints recognised that these players know their own shortcomings and they have been hung out to dry this season by not only a lack of quality signings but the tactics of all three managers.

Perhaps the highlight of the day was Charly Alcatraz, who came on as an Everton substitute, these days players leave clubs and don't look back, but Charly came over after the Saints players had made their way towards the dressing room.

He got a better reception that the Saints team, he was warmly applauded and cheered, there was even his name sung, respect to the man and how we could have done with him instead of the toothless and clueless Sulemana up front.

So we limp towards the end of the season, bizarrely I am optimistic for next season, we will still have the foundations of the team that won us promotion first time, Ross Stewart looked like he could be a player and if we recruit wisely and with some of the youngsters such as Ronnie Edwards with the right manager we can challenge for promotion.

But for now it is just about getting the last game out of the way.

All Photos Via Reuters

Block8 added 10:04 - May 20 It's strange how people see things differently, I felt a bit sorry for Sulemana he isn't a central striker and boy it showed but he wasn't short of effort and pumping high balls at their CB's was hardly helpful. Aribo is not a central midfielder, even at Championship level, and his man scored both Everton goals, because of that very reason. Rusk has obviously been instructed to stop the heavy defeats and getting a couple of draws has only reinforced his negativity. When the team was announced you could see heads go down everywhere. One nil down in 6 minutes with no striker didn't exactly lift the mood. We have had three managers this season and each one has only known one way to play so we need a manager who can have a plan B + a squad that is flexible enough to carry it out. If as seems most likely currently it is Will Still (and not his brother Stan, we do that already) then when asked about formations and flexibility he replied that "you do whatever it takes to win games" That's a philosophy we could do with!

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Bowlercow added 11:43 - May 20 Still or Rohl may well get the job but a massive clear out is needed first A couple that we would rather keep will move on but there are about 10 players who are not assets to a club in our situation Sulemana,Stevens,Aribo,Archer,Bednarek and Manning could all be bettered It would be great if the new coach could be introduced to the crowd at the Arsenal game Let him feel the power of our supporth

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kenchilds70 added 16:59 - May 20 Sorry Block8 but no compassion for a player that in MANY games has not shown any desire or passion to play for his shirt. He is not the only one and to be fair they too need to moved on. New season new manager lets hope brings new ideas and a new energy to our flagging club,
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Colburn added 17:48 - May 20 The fans turned up but the team didn’t, probably because they had no interest in playing with 8 defenders again and having no pattern of attack. I don’t really see the point in Simon Rusk, ok he has steadied the ship very slightly but to be blunt, a league 2 team would have started with a striker if it was an FA cup match ffs.. It was obvious that to get anything out of the game, we needed at least one goal. Sulemana is actually lazy, it’s no excuse to say he’s not a centre forward, he could still have caused a nuisance. That said I do feel sorry for him that he was thrown under the bus by Rusk, fortunately it was parked.. his body language isn’t great and there’s no end product. Why on earth did he not start with Stewart up top? We travelled all that way, getting up at 3am, spending huge sums of money again and he puts out that side.. These people have clearly forgotten that this sport is about the fans. If Rusk isn’t up to the task and to make simple decisions then it is actually his fault, he should have told the owners that he doesn’t have the ingredients.. I’m totally disgusted by Sundays performance, decisions and lack of regard for what the fans have been through this year while they pick up their thousands.. Ramsdale and Fernandes aside, I’m disgusted, live on the breadline my only hobby following Saints and they don’t bother to show up. They are a disgrace. No Aribo isn’t good enough for the Championship, it took him 6 touches to get the ball under control on Sunday. Another who is too laid back like Smallbone, who actually did ok. I was more hectic nutters in the side like Matt, not these pipe smokers like McCarthy and the other strollers. I really pity you Nick for having to write about this garbage every week and to be fair, you’ve done incredibly well to stay balanced with your words. We do need to get this over with now asap and start again.

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halftimeorange added 20:22 - May 20 Goodison Park deserved more worthy opponents than Saints for its final EPL match. In view of the fact that our team as expected didn't turn up, it would have been a not unreasonable gesture if Saints had returned their ticket allocation and allowed those home fans gathered outside the stadium to say their farewells inside to the old ground. We provided nothing other than our usual diehard fans. We'll need them next season more than most of the players.

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saintmark1976 added 10:55 - May 21 Well done Colburn for calling it as you see it and commiserations for putting in the effort and expense to go on Sunday and being rewarded with absolutely nothing from Sports Republic and their players. Our current squad are without doubt the worse collection of disinterested under performing football journeymen that I’ve ever witnessed in my last sixty years of watching the Saints. Against Everton in front of a world wide television audience they just couldn’t be bothered from the get go. They were a disgrace to themselves, fans like yourself in particular and the City of Southampton. Frankly, apart from the two players you mention and K W P, if I never saw any of them ever again in a Saints shirt it would be too soon.

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IanRC added 16:18 - May 21 More rubbish from you Nick about Sulemana. How many balls did we play over the top for him to use his speed against their slower central defenders - answer- none. Zero tactical nous from Rusk. Would have been much better to have him on with Stewart but there you go. Another stunning success by Sports Republic seeing Alzraz turning out for our opponents. Sooner they go the better.

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simmo400 added 20:39 - May 21 Looked like pre season game. Saints just compliant in a toffee tea party.
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