Jose Fonte has supported the introduction of a video referee in football to help with major decisions during a game.

The Saints captain was speaking after his side’s controversial 2-0 defeat to Liverpool, at St Mary’s, on Sunday.

Referee Kevin Friend denied Ronald Koeman’s men a number of penalties – at least one of which was clear-cut – and missed a handball outside the area by Reds keeper Simon Mignolet.

With goalline technology already in use, Fonte agreed that it would be a positive step if football’s authorities brought in instant replay to help determine such decisions.

“I think so, I think it would be a good solution,” he said.

Fonte, who believes Saints missed an opportunity to make a major statement against Liverpool, was restrained in his views of the penalty incidents, however.

“I didn’t see them, I don’t know,” he said, when asked about the two possible fouls on Filip Djuricic and handball against Dejan Lovren.

“It’s one of those days. Nothing went our way.

“We kept trying, we kept working hard – they got a great goal really early on – and then we put the pressure on them, and we just didn’t have any luck, either with decisions or in the game itself.”

Fonte added: “We’re frustrated, because we felt we could have won this game.

“We felt this was a game we needed to make a statement and, unfortunately, nothing went our way.”

The centre half also insisted that the players would not stew on any sense of injustice they might be feeling, and instead would look at what they could improve themselves.

“We need to focus on ourselves and the things that we could have done better,” he said.

“Decisions of referees, sometimes you get them, sometimes you don’t.

“We got none, I think, so we’ll see.”

The big problem for Saints recently has been their home form, where they are now five without a win, while they have failed to find the net in their last three games at St Mary’s.

“Obviously, we haven’t scored many goals,” he said.

“Things are not clicking when we’re attacking, last third of the pitch, so we need to work on that.”

Away from home, though, Saints are in a rich vein of form, having won their last five on the road, and they will have the opportunity to extend that run when they visit West Brom this Saturday.

Three points at the Hawthorns for Koeman’s side would help re-energise their hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

“We’re still in the mix,” said Fonte. “It’s a long way until the end.

“There’s another 12 games, so a lot of points to play for and for sure we won’t put our heads down and let ourselves go.

“We’re going to keep working in the training ground and try and put this right.

“Now we have West Brom away and that’s another good opportunity to get the three points.”