Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse has questioned his teammates' commitment after defeat at Brentford.

Speaking to the Daily Echo shortly after the full-time whistle, Ward-Prowse provided an honest reflection of the afternoon and the season as a whole.

“I think it sums up where we are as a team and as a club," Ward-Prowse said. “We're too easy to play against and we're giving games away. You give yourself no chance in games if you're giving goals away. 0-0 is hard enough in the Premier League, let alone 2-0 down…and the game is gone."

Under-pressure boss Jones was subjected to numerous chants against him from the travelling supporters but Ward-Prowse has insisted that it's the players who must bear the brunt of the responsibility for Saints' struggling season.

"It doesn't matter who the manager is - if it's the kitman taking the team for the day, whether it's the media guys, whether it's the chef in the canteen. It's ultimately you as a player who goes out on the pitch and delivers.

"Regardless, of what messages are delivered. The manager has given us a plan and a way to play the game and we've not executed that. We have to question our work rate and our desire and when that's not there, that's the difficult part to digest.

"The manager is a very strong-willed person. He's got good beliefs in what he wants and he gives us those messages. He comes across with great energy. He'll come out and shoulder the blame and that's what managers do.

"But ultimately, it's the players out on the pitch delivering and working hard and doing the basics right and we're not doing that at the minute. If you don't do that, you get punished, regardless of who you're playing against in the Premier League."