Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce was impressed by Southampton after Friday night's defeat.
Southampton moved to the top of the Premier League for the first time ever with a comfortable win over Newcastle.
Bruce remarked: "It was a difficult evening for us against a very good Southampton team, but we didn't do enough. We weren't aggressive enough and we found it very difficult. The goals we gave away probably summed up our evening. We gave it away far too cheaply and far too often.
"To do it you have to be good with the ball and make sure you look after it better than we did. That's why the players play at this level because they are expected to.
"From six minutes in we gifted them the first goal then it was a difficult night all round. We were nowhere near where we were five days ago. That's my biggest issue - that we go up and down. It was a poor, poor performance.
"We were a shadow of the team I saw against Everton. We have to make sure we're better against Chelsea. There's a few shirts available, a few place up for grabs. There's always going to be a reaction but that reaction is too often. That inconsistency is what nags at me."
