RONALD Koeman has pointed the blame at his players, calling them “too naive” in Saints’ 2-0 defeat to Tottenham at St Mary’s this afternoon in the Premier League.

• Southampton 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur - in pictures
• Southampton 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur - match report
• Southampton 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur - as it happened

In a three minute spell just before half-time Harry Kane and Dele Alli put ex-Saints manager Mauricio Pochettino’s side 2-0 up.

Koeman’s side started brightly, with Sadio Mane having the best of the chances, but the manager slammed his side’s defending that saw them extend their winless run to six games in all competitions.

“We made some unbelievable mistakes,” a clearly infuriated Koeman said.

“If you watch the first goal, what happened, it’s like amateurs because it’s a situation because we lost the ball in midfield, but still enough defenders behind.

“But too naive, three against one, three defenders of Southampton against Kane and still it’s one against one with the goalkeeper and that’s unbelievable because these are details who decide a final result because in three minutes it was over.

“Of course we did everything second half in the last two minutes we got some good chances. We need to change our mentality.

“We need to work different I think now in the situation after many defeats in the season how we have to react and, one of course, is believe in the way how we play and how we try to play football.

“But we need to be more, we need a more killing mentality because it’s unacceptable how they score the first goal.”

Alli netted Spurs’ second two minutes before the break and Koeman saw it as a mix up between the players.

“It’s a misunderstanding and maybe that misunderstanding came out of the first goal and, of course, Ryan Bertrand like to press on the midfield," he said. "He lost the battle, but we’re looking at losing too many battles.

“We need a better understanding defensive-wise and Cedric (Soares). I think Cedric is playing offside in the box and we had no pressure to the ball. Too easy, so easy.

“But it starts by the 1-0 because that makes the difference. Of course by 1-0 down maybe in the second half you can do more or maybe you have more belief to come back in the game.

“2-0 down at half-time it was so difficult.”