The Saints squad was ravaged by injury, some would say it was down to the bare bones, but Will Still did not make the best of it and again we saw strange selections & bizarre substitutions that ultimately cost us dearly.

There will be those that will point to the mystery illness that saw several squad members on the side lines, but given we were lacking in central midfielders especially, why was Joe Aribo not brought into the squad and for that matter Sam Edozie, two experienced players who could have done a job out there, rather than put two youngsters in with limited experience.

Earlier in the week, Still had spoken of Aribo & Edozie claiming that they had not had much of a pre season and were not ready to be considered for selection, given that both appeared in pre season friendlies and appeared to have done the preliminary fitness training back in July and have been back in the first team squad for at least a month, after training away from the team, I would say that is incorrect, both should have been at a fitness level to have played a part in this game.

Still showed the stubbornness of his predecessor Russell Martin in refusing to bring them in from the cold.

We started the game against the second from bottom side with 5 defenders on the pitch, Roerslev & Manning being employed as wingbacks, both are unsuited to this role being more in the traditional full back mode.

For a while it went well, Leo Scienza scoring on 23 minutes to put us in the driving seats and although Blackburn had some chances, so did we and in fairness we looked like we would see the game out, the introduction of Ryan Fraser for Cameron Archer looked a good substitution on the hour, but then came the moment that perhaps emphasised that Will Still doesn't seem to know what he is doing.

He brought on Jack Stephens for Leo Scienza, we now had 4 centre backs on the field, plus 2 full backs, we were top heavy at the back and now on the back foot, Stephens appeared to be playing in the centre of midfield although I couldn't be sure, not Captain Jacks fault.

Withing 5 minutes Blackburn were level, Alibiosu got the ball out wide and found that all our defenders were sitting back, he cut across and hit a fairly tame cross shot, more to try to find one of his team mates that trying to score, the ball went through everyone including Alex McCarthy, if Gavin Bazunu had let this one in then I know he would be getting the blame on this one.

When Shea Charles pulled up with a hamstring issue, Still then made 3 changes to the side, Cameron Bragg on for Charles, Welington for Manning & Jay Robinson on for Ronnie Edwards, more reshuffling and we were now a complete shambles and Blackburn sensed blood.

For me Ronnie Edwards was perhaps our best of the central 3 defenders and Scienza the best outfield player overall, yet both did not see out the game.

That came in the 86th minute and it was more chaotic defending, when the ball popped up into the area, Bragg facing his own goal tried to chest it down when perhaps he should have headed it wide of the goal for a corner, their player nipped in and prodded the ball towards goal, Alex McCarthy seems to have developed a goalkeeping style that does not involve using his hands, he did the same for Middlesbrough's equaliser a few weeks back and this was not the first time he did this at Blackburn, he rushed out with his hands by his side, perhaps to avoid getting penalised for handball in his own 6 yard box, the ball bounced back off his chest and Guðjohnsen blasted it past him from close range.

McCarthy really should have done better with both goals and indeed he frequently came and flapped at crosses.

There was no coming back from this, you could sense it, we were now an utter shambles, with little options on the field to push forward and get an equaliser.

So where do we go from here ?

I can see only one ending to this tale, we now have a squad depleted by injury, no leadership, no motivation, no confidence, no organisation and clearly frustrated as was shown by Welington's needless sending off.

I think Will Still doesn't know what to do next, when he arrived at the club we were told his strengths were his adaptability and his ability to change formation to suit the opposition, I have not see evidence of that, all I see is a scattergun approach, he has his favourites and he has those he has decided are not part of his squad, hence the fact that he did not put his priorities in winning the game, he preferred to put two inexperienced youngster on the bench who didn't even have squad numbers, indeed Bragg had neither name or number on his shirt, rather than have Joe Aribo & Sam Edozie on the bench.

This reminded me of last season with Russell Martin, the manager was putting his own agenda ahead of the team.

So where do we go next, the Saints supporters have been remarkably patient, they have still turned up in number's the best part of 2,500 where up in Blackburn and did not deserve to watch a team struggling whilst the manager stood alone on the touchline like a rabbit in the headlights.

I would say this, if Russell Martin had seen out last season and either started this season like this, he would now be sacked, if he had been sacked in the summer and Still appointed I would say that we would now be sacking him, the only thing that is keeping him in a job at the moment is that having already having had 4 managers in the last 10 months, we are loathe to make it a 5th, so Johannes Spors & the board are desperately hoping that Still will turn the tide.

But the truth is we are going backwards, a month or so ago we looked to have turned a corner, a good point against Middlesbrough followed by a win at Sheffield United looked to be a springboard, but since then we have gone backwards, the squad are now clearly confused, bemused and are not confident with the manager, of course they say the right things in interviews, they are contracted to do that, but that is not the message they are sending with their performances on the field.

This is going to be a crucial week for Southampton FC, if Will Still survives it and leads the team next week, you are going to see plenty of empty seats at St Mary's and you are going to have a toxic atmosphere.

Has this gone past the point of no return for Will Still, I was truly hoping that we would win at Blackburn and he would show that after the debacle at Bristol we could kick start the season, sadly I saw things getting worse and not better, yes there were injury & illness issues, but that is when a squad that has leadership and discipline knuckles down and finds an extra gear, I did not see any of that at Ewood Park, either from the dug out or on the pitch.

Once what surrounds a football club becomes all about the manager, that is never a good thing.

All Photos Via Reuters