Former Manchester City full-back and now pundit Micah Richards has agreed with Antonio Conte on the fact that his Spurs side made too many bad mistakes but went a step further in picking out one player in particular who committed too many of these errors.
The Lilywhites missed a chance to capitalise on Manchester United's slip up earlier in the week as Ralf Rangnick's side were pegged back by Burnley at Turf Moor in the second half and only left Lancashire with a point.
This meant that a win for Conte and co against Southampton would have seen Spurs leapfrog north London rivals Arsenal into fifth, drawing level with fourth placed United.
It all started off reasonably well for Tottenham as Southampton's Jan Bednarek turned the ball into his own net only 18 minutes in, only for a Ben Davies slip minutes later to be ruthlessly punished by Chelsea loanee Armando Broja.
Spurs then added a second in the 70th minute in controversial fashion through Heung-Min Son, who benefited in the end from Emerson Royal's industry as he met Lucas Moura's cross to restore Spurs' advantage, although Royal's challenge could have easily been blown up as a foul on Broja but VAR was unmoved.
Being 2-1 up with 20 minutes to go, Spurs were in a good position but just like it has been the case so often before, they failed to make it count as Southampton scored twice to stun the home faithful at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Headed goals, which both left a lot to be desired defensively, from Mohamed Elyounoussi and Che Adams respectively meant that Ralph Hasenhuttl's side were victors on the night as they took back the three points to Hampshire.
For Spurs, well the inquest had already begun defensively with Conte himself lamenting the 'instability' his side showed from a position of power.
"For sure we have to be disappointed because after our first half where we struggled a lot and I think they were good but I think we made many, many mistakes, many mistakes, especially with the ball," he said in his post-match press conference.
"I think this type of situation created a bit of instability, mental instability in my team, especially in the first half. In the second half we started to play, we started to press in the right way and I didn't change anything compared to the first half.
"In the second half we created chances to score but also in the first half. Every time we played the ball in the right way we created a situation to go to score, but I repeat we made many mistakes in the first half, important mistakes.
"In the second half we did well, we scored and then you have to be more good to defend because I have seen the two goals and we conceded twice with the defensive line that stayed there.
"We have to be more accurate but I know very well this season and I repeat, we are going to struggle to get three points."
He then went on to add that hard 'work' was the only solution if the north London outfit are to improve defensively from this point on till the end of the season.
He said: "For sure you attack with ten players and you defend with ten players. When you concede a goal there is a kick and in the top angle you can only clap your opponent.
"Otherwise in every goal there are situations that you can improve. I think it's normal when you conceded three goals. For sure, we scored two goals and the goals we scored there are situations that Southampton can improve. I repeat, we have to work and to know that our season will be tough.
"It will be tough, we have to know this. But I repeat I am pleased with the effort and commitment of my players. I ask them to always have personality, good personality and then during the game you can make mistakes but we have to try reduce mistakes and to improve in other aspects."
But Richards then went deeper into his analysis and picked out some of the players who were responsible for the fact that Spurs were "too easy" for Southampton to play against at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday night.
"They were too easy to play against, Spurs, with individual errors costing them the game," he said on Match of the Day.
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"For the first goal, it started with Emerson Royal, not engaging the ball, Ben Davies slips, that can happen. They have four players, but no-one is marking [Armando] Broja, they don't and it is a fantastic finish.
"They were ball watching [for Elyounoussi's goal] and I'm not picking on him [Royal], but the danger is inside the box and it was mistake after mistake for Spurs, they were miles off of it.
Looking at the third goal, he added: "If he [Royal] adjusts his position by two or three yards, he can head that away."
