Whilst it is great that once again Saints are fighting for something right to the end of the season, it does mean that Ronald Koeman cannot bring in youngsters to give them experience,

Success has its price and one of those prices is that you have to keep fighting for points right to the end of the season and that means playing your best team in each and every game.

That leaves little time to rest players and bring in youngsters for a taste of first team action.

Saints have been known for that over the years, but when they were a side firmly in mid table it was a lot easier to do that sort of thing, now we are a step or two forward of where we were three years ago and even the last two campaigns.

This has meant that Koeman cannot find out whether his promising youngsters on the fringes of the first team truly have what it takes to make the breakthrough, the fact is at any football club, it is a big step up from looking good on the training ground and in academy matches and being able to hack it in the Premier League.

“We have competition in our squad, we’re still fighting for something,”

"Maybe if we don’t play really to get Europe then maybe it makes it different - then maybe you can think more about young players and players who need game time."

But it is not just the youngsters who are not getting game times, Koeman also admitted that Jay Rodriguez is a dilemma, it cannot be doubted that Rodriguez is perhaps the best player in the squad om his form before his injury in March 2014, he has what it takes, but he needs to be eased back into the side, Koeman did that at Villa, but is J Rod ready for a full game against a sides like Manchester City and Spurs with so much to play for.

“He missed a lot this season,”

"You like him to improve and you like to give him what he needs, still more game time, still more freshness and, of course, with a very good pre-season that he is really on his level, and that’s what we have to do.”

Photo: Action Images

Southampton Polls