The Japan Times - Juric urges Southampton to learn from record-setting relegation

Southampton were condemned to relegation in record time after a 3-1 defeat at Tottenham on Sunday.

Juric's bottom of the table side have lost 25 of their 31 top-flight games in a wretched campaign that will end with their return to the Championship after one season.

Southampton's fate was sealed by Brennan Johnson's first-half brace and a Mathys Tel penalty, with Mateus Fernandes' late effort little consolation for the fans who travelled to north London to see the last rites of their team's doomed season.

Relegation with seven fixtures left gives Southampton an unwanted Premier League record, surpassing Derby and Huddersfield's relegations with six games left in 2008 and 2019 respectively.

"It is clear if your last two years in the Premier League, you don't compete and are relegated too easy then it means there are huge problems in lots of situations," Juric said.

"I think now is a really important moment to understand all the mistakes the club (made) in the last three or four years and start to create something really good because these fans deserve it."

Juric arrived in December to replace the sacked Russell Martin, but the former Roma boss was unable to stop Southampton's slide towards relegation.

They have won only twice in the league all season, making it all the more surprising to Juric that the Southampton fans at Tottenham did not turn on the players at the final whistle.

- 'They show love' -

"A new experience. I said to the players, they have to be really thankful they have fans like this. It was something incredible the way they love their team, even the players that we are relegated with," Juric said.

"This one I can say is something incredible. They show love in this moment, it is great English culture, great Southampton culture, it is incredible."

Southampton still have one goal left as they try to avoid being the worst team in Premier League history by bettering Derby's current record-low total of 11 points from 2007-08.

Juric is desperate to avoid that fate and said he wants to lead their Championship promotion bid next season.

"The goal has to be that, to avoid being the worst team in Premier League history," he said.

"I am manager of Southampton and it is easy to say, 'now I want to go' - we have to keep working. We owe that to our fans and this is our goal.

"It is really good to be a coach in the Premier League and if I took the long way to come back here, I am ready."

Meanwhile, Ange Postecoglou was relieved Tottenham claimed a first win in five top-flight matches ahead of Thursday's Europa League quarter-final first leg against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Postecoglou has come under fire from frustrated fans amid mounting speculation that he will be sacked if he doesn't win the Europa League.

"Every time we went forward in the first half we looked dangerous and as threatening as we've looked for quite a while," he said.

"Overall the important thing is we got the win, scored three goals and everyone got through unscathed and ready for a big night on Thursday."

H.Takahashi--JT