RAFAEL Benitez' heavily rotated team, and baffling substitutions, saw Chelsea crash to defeat at St Mary's – and their top four security again put in question.
A starting 11 called out by many pre-match as unwise, and a series of switches that saw fans sing 'you don't know what you're doing', saw Benitez lose his gamble to get a result while resting players for Monday's FA Cup visit of Manchester United.
The inclusion of John Terry, Victor Moses, Marko Marin and Branislav Ivanovic pointed towards an XI that might be safely considered to be a 'B' side in The Interim One's mind.
With news of Rio Ferdinand's omission from Sir Alerx Ferguson's Manchester United side at Sunderland, and recent suggestions about Terry's fragility when it comes to more than one game in a week, it also pointed towards an uncomfortable lunchtime for that Easter Monday tie.
If the team looked like a 'B' side on paper, they looked worse on pitch. There seemed to be a lack of bite or focus which opened up the side to a series of not especially well-targeted Saints forward moves.
It was with the run of play, then, when the home side took the lead on 23 minutes. Captain Rickie Lambert put it in from out wide, Jay Rodriguez played a one-two with Steven Davis, and Rodriguez then slotted the ball past Petr Cech. A well-worked and deserved team goal.
Ten minutes later, the Blues were level: a Marin corner meeting with a leaping Terry (pictured) – who sent his free-header in with gusto from six yards.
But parity was to last only ine minute and 59 seconds. A foul on Steven Davis resulted in a free-kick: which Lambert sent soaring over Chelsea's makeshift wall, and past Cech to restore the lead.
Chelsea needed to make changes at the break – not least to a soft left side involving Ryan Bertrand and Marin. But the only change that came was from their hosts: Kelvin Davis replacing keeper Artur Boruc.
The sub proved ably his worth: tipping a dipping Moses shot over the bar just after the hour. Finally, after some encouragement from the away end, Benitez made the change the game had been crying out for: Eden Hazard on for Marin. But if that change was a crowd-pleaser, the two that followed were not certainly not: Ramires and Yossi Benayoun coming on for John Mikel Obi and Oscar.
Chelsea continued to stutter: never really looking like grabbing the equaliser, let alone getting anywhere near the three points. Chelsea now lie fourth: two points behind Tottenham, and two ahead of Arsenal.
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