NATHAN Jones insisted he is not concerned by fan reaction to him at the end of the 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest, but admitted he is a little bit “surprised”. The Saints boss said supporters pay their hard-earned money and have the right to react however they want, after loud boos at both half-time and full-time on Wednesday. The final whistle of the Forest defeat, a fourth Premier League loss under Jones and a sixth successive for the club, was met with one of the most toxic St Mary’s atmospheres of the season. While Mohammed Salisu sprinted down the tunnel despite James Ward-Prowse bellowing for him to come back, Jones did go around the stadium bowl clapping the fans. And asked if he is concerned by the reaction so early into his managerial tenure,
Nathan Jones responded: “I can’t pre-empt what fans are going to do and so on, that’s entirely up to them. All I can do is try to prepare a team that goes out there and changes results. It doesn’t concern me, it surprises me a little bit but that’s their prerogative. The thing about a football manager, especially where I’ve come from and getting an opportunity here, I understand the scepticism. Fans have paid their money, they have the prerogative and they can do whatever they want. For me as a manager, you have to be thick-skinned. You know, it’s not the first time that I’ve been booed, it’s not the first time I’ve taken stick as a player, manager, coach or anything and you have to show real characteristics that bring you through this because when we come through it, there’ll be proud moments.”
Saints failed to record a single shot on target during the defeat, while Taiwo Awoniyi’s winner was the only one from the visitors. That was gifted by a Lyanco misplaced pass on the halfway line, just days after Saints conceded two set-pieces including an 87th-minute sickener to lose 2-1 at Fulham. Asked if he believes he can change supporters’ confidence,
Nathan Jones replied: “Results are the only way to change it. You’re not going to change their mind without it, but it was a front-foot performance tonight and they worked hard. We just didn’t show enough quality but you had a side out there tonight that worked hard and grafted, that had more situations than Forest and we just didn’t show enough quality and then gifted them a goal. When you give them a goal they can sit in for 20 minutes because they haven’t got to chase anything. And that’s the problem at the minute because the other day (at Fulham) we were excellent, excellent structure performance. But gifted two goals from set-pieces, and against Brighton we had loads of possession, gifted Brighton two goals and then there was a strike from distance. So there are lots we can do better and we have to.”
