Juric: 'We were a better team than West Ham, we have to be positive'
MANAGER Ivan Juric believes his Saints were "a better team than West Ham" as he endorses positivity following the 1-0 defeat at St Mary's.
Jarrod Bowen struck a 59th-minute winner for the Hammers to consign new Southampton head coach Juric to a loss in his first match in charge.
Former Torino boss Juric also watched Sunday’s goalless draw at Fulham from the stand to give renewed hope to the Premier League’s bottom club.
The Croatian accepts Saints face a difficult task to survive in the division but insists he is positive after two improved performances.
Juric said: "I know before that I arrived here that it was very difficult but watching these two games, I think we have to be positive and think positive.
Ivan Juric is targeting a first win in Sunday's trip to Crystal Palace (Image: Stuart Martin)
"Against Fulham we were tough. Today we were a better team than West Ham. We have to be positive, try to win the game in Crystal Palace and go on.
"I think we did a really good game. In a few days, the players are improved a lot. They played good, pressed high and there were really good moments.
"They conceded much less than before and I'm disappointed in the result for the players because, in a few days of working, they're doing things very good.
"It's a pity that we lost this game and played well. I was thinking that I will need more time and there are details we have to work on.
"Sometimes they're creating something because we defensively miss these details. I think we played good, created a lot, found a way to be dangerous."
Juric admitted Saints should not have conceded in the manner they did, after Yukinari Sugawara cheaply gifted a West Ham corner in the build-up.
"We cannot concede because of this," he said. "We give a corner too much easily and you have to be focused on the game for 90 minutes, not just moments."
Saints thought they would play the last 40 minutes against 10 men but Guido Rodriguez saw a red card overturned by the referee after a VAR intervention.
The Argentine appeared to slip into a lunging tackle on Kyle Walker-Peters but Juric had no complaints with the decision eventually given.
"The decision was correct and I'm okay with that," Juric insisted.
