Cedric: Southampton must take EFL Cup final character into Premier League

Southampton defender Cedric has called on his teammates to use the character shown in their EFL Cup final defeat as a catalyst for the rest of the Premier League campaign.

Claude Puel’s men were beaten 3-2 by Manchester United at Wembley on Sunday, having come back from 2-0 down to almost take home the trophy.

The Saints currently sit 13th in the Premier League table, with just two league victories to their name since the turn of the year.

But following on from their memorable performance against Jose Mourinho’s side, Cedric insists his side can take great confidence into their upcoming games.

(Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

“I think it was a great response – a good answer on the pitch,” he said.

“I think we should bring it to the Premier League as well, and keep a good run in the Premier League.

“We definitely need some points to go up to where we are normally used to being.

“This is our goal, and this is our target now in our heads, and I think if we keep the same mentality for sure, we are going to be happy.”

But while the players will do all they can to ensure they end their league campaign ends on a high, Cedric insists vital support is needed from the Saints’ faithful.

“They were incredible [in the final],” he said. “They made themselves heard.

“You are focused on the game, but we definitely felt this energy from them.

“They were fantastic, they were great, and I hope they will keep like this, because we definitely need them.”