GRAEME Souness has labelled Saints’ defending for Manchester City’s equaliser as “like robots” and “dummy players,” but admitted: “I think a point is fair.”
Aymeric Laporte was able to head freely at the back-post from a Kevin De Bruyne free-kick in the second-half and take a share of the points.
That was after Kyle Walker-Peters had opened the scoring inside seven minutes at St Mary’s, and Pep Guardiola went on to suggest it was one his City side’s best performances of the season.
Pundit and ex-Saints manager Souness gave his verdict on the match to Sky Sports, where he admitted that the home team were good value for a point.
The 68-year-old said: "For the Southampton goalkeeper to make four saves, that is just not good enough.
“They should be peppering the goal with 74 per cent possession and I think they’ve got away with it, City.
"I think a point is fair, they (Saints) dug in deep. They got the goal in the first-half, smashing goal, well worked goal.
"City had 74 per cent possession but they only forced them to make four saves so having all that ball you want to work the goalkeeper a lot more than that."
However, the former Liverpool captain was less than impressed with the goal Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men conceded.
"For Southampton, they were disciplined. You cannot switch off because when you’re against the very best if you knock off for a brief moment they can punish you.
"It’s outrageous (for the City equaliser). So you line up on the 18-yard line. Kevin De Bruyne is on the ball so you know he’s going to put it exactly where he wants to put it.”
He continued: “The three best headers of the ball – (Ruben) Dias, Laporte, Rodri - they could’ve all scored a goal.
"Then we see it from another angle, there’s only Kyle Walker-Peters looking at those three. The three in front of them - which is (Oriol) Romeu, (Armando) Broja and Walker-Peters - they make no attempt to run back.
"It’s not enough to say, ‘I’m where the manager told me to stand, I’m in the line,’ you’ve got to then deal with whatever comes your way. Just stood there like robots.
"That is an absolute joke in the Premier League and how not to defend a set piece. You have De Bruyne, one of the best kickers of the ball in world football, he’s going to put it on a sixpence - deal with the problem.
“They think they’ve done enough by holding their line. They were dummy players in that situation."
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