ABYSMAL

The new Saints boss didn't mince his words after seeing his side thrashed in a display dominated by basic individual errors.

Mistakes came all over the pitch but Redknapp's former West Ham striker s Jermain Defoe and Fredi Kanoute exposed the defensive errors .

"They keep making defensive errors, basic mistakes," said Redknapp.

"We're attacking, they hit a ball down the line, we've got two players who both miss the ball and Kanoute squares it to Defoe - that was about the story of our lot.

"But you can see why they got beat by five at Watford.

"There's an awful lot to do. It's going to be difficult."

He added: "The defending was abysmal. It was unreal.

"I brought Kenton in to play against Defoe because Kenton's 5ft 7in and Defoe's 5ft 6in and they're both quick, so I thought 'that's fine.'

"I had Lundekvam who's 6ft 2in to mark Kanoute who's 6ft 3in.

"But for some reason, they thought it would be better after five minutes to do the opposite.

"Defoe's being marked by Lundekvam and Kenton's jumping with Kanoute.

"It's strange. You talk to them before the game, have team meetings - but what can you do when they get out there?

"It's frightening."

Despite all that, Redknapp DOES believe he can guide Saints to safety.

"I've taken a tough job. I'll give it my best shot, I can't do any more than that.

"I'll try everything I can to keep this team up.

"I knew it would be hard. When you take over a team in the bottom three who have only won two games you know it will be tough.

"It's going to be a real struggle.

"There are five teams in it and we're right in it.

"Whether they (the Saints players) have got the character to get out of it is the big question.

"I still think we'll get out of it. I still think I'll keep them up."

Returning to the game, Redknapp added: "Players keep making the same errors.

"If you go to Arsenal or Chelsea and get chinned by five it's understandable, but not here.

"At 3-1 you think 'we're back in the game'. If we score the next goal there is nothing to stop us getting something from the game, but we presented them with another goal.

"I've never seen defending like that from some of the players, it was poor."