Southampton manager Nigel Adkins accepted the blame for his side’s 3-0 Capital One Cup defeat to Leeds.
The Saints chief made 11 changes to the side that lost 2-1 to Tottenham on Sunday, handing starts to the likes of Kelvin Davis and Tadanari Lee.
The Championship side, managed by Neil Warnock, took full advantage of a lacklustre performance by the St Marys’ Stadium-based team to advance to the next round of the competition.
After the game Adkins insisted that he made the right decision to rest his players, shouldering the blame for the loss:
“We didn’t perform anywhere near what’s expected of a Southampton Football Club team,” he told SkySports.
“Forty-eight hours ago we had a high-intensity game and I made the relevant changes.
“I take full responsibility.
“We wanted to play tomorrow, but the powers that be wanted it to be tonight.”
Adkins was positive about the performances of his young players, but criticised the displays of some experienced members of his squad:
“We gave the players who have not been in the team the chance to show what they could do, and they did not take it.”
Leeds took the lead through a Michael Tonge strike after just over half-an-hour and extended their advantage through El Hadji Diouf on the 88-minute mark.
Luciano Becchio converted a penalty in stoppage time wrap up the 3-0 win after Luke Shaw had been adjudged to have fouled Tonge in the area.
