VITOR PEREIRA can start planning ahead, Ivan Juric can start packing his bags.
Southampton fans finally lost patience with their second manager of the season as Jorgen Strand Larsen’s double gave Wolves an even bigger cushion over the relegation places.
Wolves won 2-1 at Southampton to move closer to Premier League safety[/caption]
Jorgen Strand Larsen scored both goals in the victory[/caption]
The Norwegian had not scored since late December, but the ever generous Saints gifted him the opener before a well taken second.
Substitute Paul Onuachu bagged a fortunate one back for Saints but they never really looked dangerous enough to grab an equaliser.
Wolves, now nine points clear of the drop, can surely start planning for next season in the Premier League.
Just as Liverpool’s title is effectively wrapped up, the bottom of the table appears sealed too.
Southampton are by far the worst of the bunch, but neither Leicester nor Ipswich look capable of troubling those above them either.
Pereira will not say so until his side are mathematically safe, but everyone knows they will be alright.
Given the desperate state of the three promoted clubs preparing to head straight back down – Wolves could probably stop playing now and still finish above the bottom three.
The one thing Saints have to push for is beating Derby’s record low points tally of 11.
One win would do it for them, but that feels an awful lot to ask for watching the way this side collapse at the first sign of difficulty.
It has been the story of Southampton’s season that just as they start to look half decent in a game, someone does something to remind everywhere why they are heading straight back down.
This time around it was Armel Bella-Kotchap’s turn.
Saints had started brightly, for a side on nine points in March, and Joe Aribo had the chance to put them ahead before firing over the bar.
Two minutes later they fell behind as Strand Larsen was left free to rise and meet Jean-Ricner Bellegarde’s well placed cross as Bella-Kotchap, the closest defender, stood and watched a few yards away.
Saints offered little in the way of a response before the game as supporters turned on hapless boss Juric – calling on him to play a striker having started without one for the second game on the bounce.
The Croatian caved at the break, sending on Onuachu, but as a replacement for one of Southampton’s few competent players, Matheus Fernandes.
This prompted more tumult from the stands, with loud boos and chants of “you don’t know what you’re doing”.
Saints have already decided Juric will leave in the summer, the question now is whether they make the change sooner.
Southampton were terrible under Russell Martin, but look even worse now.
Juric wanted to stop them conceding, but their statuesque defending smacks of a team who have given up.
Two minutes into the second half Saints allowed Wolves to stroll through them. Marshall Munetsi and Bellegarde playing first time passes to tee up Larsen on the edge of the box who powered a smart finish low into the far corner.
Saints did start creating some chances, with Yuki Suguwara, Tyler Dibling and Onuachu all having a sniff.
Juric’s forwards all lack the quality to provide a cutting edge when it counts and even the goal they got back was more luck than judgement.
Onuachu collected the ball just inside the Wolves half and fed Dibling.
The teen, who is destined for much bigger and better than St, Mary’s come the summer, carried the ball forwards.
His low shot had beaten Sa, but struck the far post and fell for Onuachu to tap in.
Southampton looked to have a bit of belief about them that a point was within reach, especially after Joao Gomes had missed a sitter to get Wolves’ third, but no one in the stands really believed it would come.
