Yoshida: Saints must replicate second-half performance

Maya Yoshida believes Southampton have the template for success this season – the second 45 minutes of the weekend loss to Tottenham.

The Saints were completely outplayed in the first half at White Hart Lane on Sunday as Christian Eriksen and a Dele Alli penalty gave Spurs a 2-0 lead at the break, with talismanic striker Manolo Gabbiadini also hobbling off with a groin injury.

But Southampton came out fighting after the interval, as James Ward-Prowse got a goal back on 52 minutes and they were unlucky not grab an equaliser as the half wore on.

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And while they ultimately left north London empty-handed, Japanese defender Yoshida is adamant the team won’t go far wrong this term if they replicate their second-half display.

“We showed a good comeback in the second half,” Yoshida said. “But first half they played much better and we should have played like the second half but from the beginning.

“We keep conceding a lot, which we have to stop now. They’re a good team but second half we played well. Personally, I think we deserved more, but it was 2-1.

“Now we break for the internationals and we can come back and have many games in April, so we will be ready. Nobody will be injured and we will be fresh.”

“We reacted well and we have to take that at as a positive.

“We didn’t play our best football in the first half and we didn’t want to have that feeling in the second half, so we said to each-other at half-time that we needed to be braver.”