Perspective, people.
Yes - that was a dreadful performance. Southampton had a game plan to hurry and harass us and it worked well. Saints play well, we do not. Result is an inevitability.
Yes - it pretty much means the end of our campaign to retain the title. This is bitterly disappointing and frustrating.
And, yes - the media are currently loving it. And the rags will give us shit come May if the situation does not take a remarkable turn.
However... for those who come on here and crucify Barry and suggest he should never pull on a blue shirt again are as pathetic as the level of performance that they suggested the team put in against Southampton. Some people have every short memories. Barry has been one of our most consistent players this season. Because he does what he does quietly and efficiently, there is no fanfare when he delivers every game.
Admittedly, he had a wretched game. Probably the worst game he has ever had for City. But it is a rarity. He spent the best part of 5 weeks without his usual midfield partner (Yaya) and still maintained clean sheets up until the Liverpool game. He is steady and reliable. Yesterday, he was awful. However, he was not alone.
Kneejerk reactions such as the ones that I have read on this blog make people sound like Chelsea fans who have grown accustomed to constant changes of personnel.
Look at the table. The difference between us and United is the cost of the 6 draws that we have more than them. 12 points. As we continue to have the best defence in the league, you will notice that we are considerably down on the goals scored tally compared to last year.
So, if you want to sling mud at anyone, sling it at our strikers. That's where the weakness lies.