Saints had enough good players on the pitch to beat Leeds according to Nigel Adkins.

The Saints boss handed his fringe stars, including the likes of Guly do Prado, Steve De Ridder and Emmanuel Mayuka, the chance to prove they deserve a Premier League place but was badly let down by some of them as they lost 3-0 to the Championship side at Elland Road.

A disappointed Adkins said: “We have come out to win a game of football and on paper, in theory, that was feasible but we haven’t gone and produced it.”

He continued: “I take full responsibility. I’ve always gone and done that.

“If we win the players take all that side of it but it’s my responsibility. I’m manger of the football club.

“We want to win and I’ve put a team out and given players an opportunity to go and prove it and maybe some of them have not been in the team and had an opportunity to go and run and show a desire to play for this football club.”

Adkins did though praise 19-year-old Lloyd Isgrove who shone after coming off the bench.

“I thought Lloyd Isgrove had a very positive impact off the bench and was a real bright spark and produced more in that half hour than some of the other players,” said Adkins.