Saints midfielder David Prutton reflected on his side's hugely disappointing 3-0 FA Cup third-round defeat to Newcastle and admitted: "If harsh words need to be said, then so be it."

Prutton was the only Saints player who had an above average game as the team slipped to a third consecutive defeat and a third consecutive poor performance.

It was a far cry from this time last year when Saints put four past Spurs on their march to the FA Cup final and Prutton said: "To say this was disappointing is an understatement.

"We didn't start particularly well and as the game wore on they got better and we stayed pretty mediocre, so we've got no one to blame but ourselves.

"I don't know why it was like that. You have to go out and play - that's what we're paid to do, that's our job, and as a team we didn't do that so I think everyone's got to take the blame.

"You get a couple of losses and hope you can turn it around but we didn't get going and once you start from the back foot, you're not going to improve as we showed.

"We rallied after half-time but it means nothing if you don't get a goal or put the opposition under any pressure.

"We can play 100 times better than that - the crowd know it, we know it and the manager knows it and it's up to us."

Only two weeks ago Saints were fourth in the Premiership and riding high despite not hitting the heights of the football they played last season.

But now they are out of the Carling Cup, UEFA Cup and FA Cup and desperately need to get their season back on track with a win and a good display against Leicester at St Mary's on Wednesday night.

Prutton added: "It's an old clich but it's football. One week you can be high as a kite, the next you can be down in the dumps, but it's trying to find a level.

"I think you can't get too taken away with the highs and can't get too taken away with the lows.

"It's up to us - we're all grown men and can all take responsibility. Nobody needs wrapping up in cotton wool and if harsh words need to be said then so be it. We should be able to deal with that sort of thing."

Prutton, whose committed performances have made him an instant fans' favourite, admitted he was hurting for the supporters, many of whom left in their in droves long before the end of the match.

"All it is is going out and playing football - it's not the end of the world. There's people dying and things like that, but it's a great job and a great profession and if you can't motivate yourself to go and run around and play for a club that you love then there must be something wrong with you.

"Hopefully this memory will spur us on whenever we do meet a bit of trouble in the future.

"The feeling you get five minutes before the end when you see the fans leave... you feel disappointed for them and feel bad that we didn't get anything from the game.

"They deserve so much because of how good they are. They travel all over the country to watch us and the least we can do is run ourselves into the ground for the club."