Southampton Boss Ivan Juric Finds Positives in Defeat to Nottingham Forest

Southampton manager Ivan Juric remains optimistic despite his team's 3-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest, praising the energy of young players like Lesley Ugochukwu and backing Flynn Downes to regain his form.

Southampton manager Ivan Juric sought to find the positives after his team's 3-2 defeat at Nottingham Forest, a result that dealt a significant blow to the Saints' Premier League survival hopes. Despite staging a second-half comeback, Southampton ultimately fell short, and Juric acknowledged that his team's intensity had been lacking in the first half. “I think this team, when we play without intensity, we are really bad. We didn't have intensity,” he admitted.

Juric specifically highlighted the team's energy levels, or lack thereof, in the opening period. “Our energy for the first two goals was really bad. We are really disappointed after a big match against Manchester United that we played the first half at this level,” he said. However, Juric was more encouraged by his team's performance in the second half, when they showed greater energy and urgency. “In the second half, I think even with the guys who came in, we had much more energy. We changed, we scored two goals, we attacked,” he noted.

Juric acknowledged that his team's schedule may have played a role in their performance, with the match against Forest coming just 60 hours after their game against Manchester United. “We had to score one more but it was the team that I wanted to watch. Maybe we are not ready to play two games in 60 hours on a high level. Maybe,” he said. Nevertheless, Juric was heartened by the impact of his substitutes, including Kamaldeen Sulemana and Lesley. “But then again, in the second half, we pushed a lot. I had fear for (Kamaldeen) Sulemana to start from the beginning, Lesley, and they gave us lots of energy,” he added.

Ivan Juric provided additional insight into his team selection and player management, highlighting the careful approach taken with Kamaldeen Sulemana. “Sulemana doesn't play for 90 minutes for two years and he had lots of injuries and we had to be careful about him,” Juric explained. This cautious approach was evident in Sulemana's introduction as a substitute, where he made a positive impact on the game.

Juric also praised the performance of young player Lesley Ugochukwu, who demonstrated energy, strength, and a willingness to fight. “Lesley (Ugochukwu) again, young players are the players I liked today, with energy, strong, knows how to play and to fight, everything,” Juric said. This enthusiasm for youth was tempered by the acknowledgment that not all players are immediately ready for the Premier League.

Juric expressed his disappointment with Flynn Downes' performance, but remained optimistic about the player's potential. “I wanted to give the minutes to Flynn Downes to come back I think he's a good player - but he didn't do well,” Juric admitted. He noted that the step up from the Championship to the Premier League can be significant. “When I saw against Swansea, there were two levels. Championship and Premier League. If you're good in the Championship, it doesn't mean you're good in the Premier League.”

Ivan Jurić reflects on today's action at the City Ground:

— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) January 19, 2025

Despite this, Juric believes that Downes has the ability to succeed in the Premier League. “But I think Flynn is good. Flynn can play in the Premier League really good. He did it against West Ham and against Fulham he was really good,” Juric said. However, he acknowledged that Downes may be struggling to regain his form after an injury. “Now, after the injury, he's maybe a little bit down, but I have to recover him and he will be good,” Juric added.