Leicester 2-0 Southampton: The verdict

This has been a great campaign for Saints, one with so many positives and wonderful memories.

It does feel as if it is fizzling out at the last, but there is still a significant milestone to be achieved.

Saints may be on a poor run of form, with just four wins in the last 15 games in all competitions, and five defeats from six away from home.

It may well be rather untimely, coming as it does during the final stages of the campaign.

But, with two games to go, they remain just one point behind sixth-placed Tottenham.

A sixth place finish would confirm Europa League qualification, and placing above Spurs would mean a huge amount to the club’s fans, who saw Mauricio Pochettino depart for White Hart Lane a year ago.

An air of doom and gloom has started to infiltrate somewhat, as a few performances which are below the standards set this season have crept in.

It was a day to forget for the Saints fans who made the trip to the King Power Stadium

Understandable, of course, but to finish sixth would be such a significant achievement for this season.

Saints, and this goes for the manager, the team, the club and the fans, must now steel themselves.

With two games to go, this target remains within their reach. There is no time for doubts and negativity now. This is the time for decisive action.

That means putting this run of form out of sight and out of mind and cracking on with things, trying to resurrect that spirit of earlier in the campaign when things were going so swimmingly.

We are not talking about it having to be sustained for very long now, but if this season does not bring European qualification it will be a very disappointing end, because Saints rarely get themselves in reach of that.

Finishing seventh of course means their fate is not in their own hands.

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It was hard to imagine that this Saints team, who have hit such heights this season, could possibly be as bad again as they were at Sunderland, but their first-half performance at Leicester was worse.

They lacked energy and snap, their ball possession was loose and, very unusually, they looked a little disorganised.

It’s hard to work out from a distance what the deciding factor is in this slump.

While the saving grace is Tottenham stumbling too, they at least can point to a mass of fixtures this season and potential tiredness at this stage. Saints haven’t had that same pile-up.

Perhaps signing players from abroad, tasting the physical nature of the Premier League for the first time and the lack of a winter break is taking its toll.

There were suggestions from Ronald Koeman that perhaps transfer talk has distracted some of his players.

Toby Alderweireld hands his shirt to a fan after a frustrating afternoon at Leicester

The big problem is that if that is the case, then an end to the season like this is unlikely to convince many of them to stay.

We saw the same last season, as players felt deflated as they realised they couldn’t quite achieve their dreams with Saints and they started to look around elsewhere before the campaign had finished.

One thing you can see is a total lack of confidence and conviction. Whereas earlier in the season Saints looked so assured in their style and gameplan, now they do not.

They are missing a couple of big players, but even some of those who have been so brilliantly consistent for them are looking vulnerable.

They started so poorly again at Leicester that the game had really slipped away by half time.

A fantastic atmosphere at the King Power Stadium was ratcheted up a notch further when, on seven minutes, the Foxes took the lead.

Riyad Mahrez celebrates his opening goal in Leicester's 2-0 win over Saints

Saints didn’t defend a right wing throw-in well, and then missed numerous chances to get in a decent tackle or adequately close down Riyad Mahrez, as he cut across the face of the area.

It cost them, as he buried a left-footed shot into the bottom corner.

It got even worse on 19 minutes, when Leicester doubled their lead.

Paulo Gazzaniga, in goal for assessment ahead of the potential summer signing of a keeper as cover for Fraser Forster, horribly sliced a clearance up in the air.

Riyad Mahrez races away after scoring his second goal against Saints

Saints’ defence were caught napping and were cut open far too easily, with Jamie Vardy playing the ball into the six-yard box from the left to Mahrez, who had got into the area totally untracked, and he stabbed home a volley from close range.

Gazzaniga at least kept Saints in the game with a good save with his legs, as Vardy was played in on goal by Mahrez.

The nearest Saints came in the first half was an off-target Sadio Mane header and Kasper Schmeichel having to turn Toby Alderweireld’s free-kick over the bar.

Saints changed things a little tactically in the second half and were better for it, but in truth Leicester also allowed them to be.

Rather than their aggressive, attacking style, they sat deep and allowed Saints time on the ball in areas it wouldn’t hurt them and defended their lead. In truth, they did it fairly comfortably.

Only Mane’s chipped shot from 20 yards that a back-pedalling Schmeichel palmed over the top really threatened them.

It was another deeply disappointing day, but attentions have to turn to the last couple of games, which still have huge importance this season.