A little over three months ago we travelled to Arsenal with the chance to go top of the Premier League, since then things have not gone as well as expected.

When we went up to the Emirates we had played 11 games and earned 22 points an outstanding total that had many talking of Champions League qualification, including this defeat at Arsenal we have played 17 games since this time and we have earned only 17 points.

This is a paltry total and to be blunt is relegation form, of course we wont be relegated because of our great start to the season, but the writing is on the wall and whilst some talk of our great performances and what an exciting side we are to watch we have taken our eye off the ball on what matters in the Premier League and that is getting points.

In truth this season has been propped up by two bursts of form, our opening four games were nothing special, five points from four games, then we had a burst of form where in the next 7 we won 5 and drew 2 to earn 17 points.

The second spell came in a 6 game spell in January/February when starting with the home victory against West Brom we won 3 and drew 3 to earn 12 points.

But these spells apart our form has not been great in terms of earning points and that has to be a worry going forward.

It is great that we are in the position that we are but every team needs to be keeping looking forward and improving and we should be no different, of course there are excuses as to why we have only averaged a point a game in the last three months, injuries and suspensions, but the fact still remains that 17 games is not far off half a season, it is a good barometer, over a period of that length of time things are smoothed out, you get a true picture of just where you are as a team and where your failings lie.

This season we have undoubtably been attractive to watch at times, but a look at the results table shows that we beat the poorer sides but anyone in the top half we struggle against, as I have said before if we look at the top 11 teams in the table we have played 14 games against them, we have won only 1 and taken only 5 points from the other 13, this is not a good record whatever way you look at it.

So what is it telling us ? probably that there is something missing from the side at present, but what is it that is missing ? is it players or is it the ability to get the best out of those players.

If we take the first, yes of course we could do with better players and if we buy wisely then of course it would improve us, but just where would we strengthen ? personally I think we can put out a decent first XI, but that is about it, if we are going to sign players, yes one or two need replacing but what we are really crying out for is variety, we play in the main the same old players week in week out and we never change our tactics, its always like for like and we have no one in reserve offering us anything different.

In the case of the latter the big question is whether we are a team of exceptional players not playing to our capabilities, or whether we are a team of average players overperforming.

Given the number of players we have in the England squad and linked with the England squad, I think we have the quality there, but we lack variety.

At the start of the season I gave a warning when we signed Osvaldo about why he had left Roma and what he would have wanted from a move, I feel that some of our problems now stem from the situation not being handled well, I mentioned about the folly of trying to play him and Lambert in the same team, that was glossed over at the start because we were able to meet and beat some poor sides at the right time and rack up a few points, but the situation soon got out of hand, with the consequences we have now, if it had been handled properly then we might have had at least part of that variety we needed, as it is we have neither player having a great season for us, Osvaldo is out on loan and Lambert looks a shadow of the player that he used to be, the odd free kick or brilliant ball aside he is not contributing enough during games, I dont think its his fault, in fact the opposite, he is being used in a system not suited to him.

If we had that variety up front then we would have got more points, but it isn't just up front, in midfield we struggle to do anything creative, we do not have a truly fast wide option, do other top teams have one ? yes they do Liverpool and Spurs to name but two have good English wide men for instance.

Perhaps some would say that the pacy wideman is a thing of the past, perhaps he is, but every good team has different weapons in their armoury, the old saying is you do the same things you get the same results, sometimes you have to try something different, a good team is pro active, it can change tactics to suit the opposition, it can target weak links in a side and it can conversely adapt to combat strong points, this is not a strong point of ours, the better sides are able to deal with us effectively as has been shown by the results, they know exactly how we are going to play and how to deal with it as has been shown by results.

This is a little harsh article after all we are 9th in the League and should hold that position a total collapse apart, we should however be wary that of our final 10 games only 4 are against sides outside of that top 11, we have to get our foot on the gas against Crystal Palace on Saturday being the first of that quartet or we will suddenly be struggling.

However all negative thoughts to one side, we should be reading the warning signs and looking to improve in the areas that we are not up to speed in this season, that is being positive, its easy to pat yourself on the back when it appears to be going well, but the best sides are always looking at where they are going wrong and where improvements can be made.

On a positive side we do have a lot of youngsters coming through who could perhaps offer us variety and perhaps its time to give some of those a game, key areas we need to cover in.

1. Central defence, its harsh but Jose Fonte should really be pushing for a place in our side, not be an automatic choice, our goals conceded is not great now and getting worse.

2. Midfield, we need to have different options, we need creativity and we need pace out wide as options, Perhaps Gaston could be the creative option, perhaps one of the youth players coming through could offer pace, we need to find out.

3. Up front, we need other options, Lambert is an old style forward playing in a formation that is asking him to do things he is not suited to, he can be used withing this formation as an impact player, but we dont have other options, we dont have a speedy finisher in the mode of Suarez or Sturridge to name two from Saturday, till we get one the style we are trying to play is compromised.

The good thing about this article is that I am picking up on points whilst we are in a position of strength, but we need to realise that the momentum at the moment is not upwards but downwards, 17 points from 17 games is a warning sign that if not heeded will lead to a relegation battle last year, look at the teams that finished 8th & 9th last year, they have not built on that foundation, we need to, last season we had a bad start due to the teams we played, this season we had a good start due to the teams we played, last season we beat Liverpool at home as well as Chelsea and Manchester City, this season we picked up a solitary point from those three fixtures, in my opinion the reason why is the rigidity of our play this season, we dont seem able to change games.

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saintnige added 11:29 - Mar 4 From watching Saturday's game on telly, I question whether Rodriguez is actually a plus in our formation. he's far from a natural goalscorer and his first touch is not up to the mark. I suppose that Osvaldo was initially bought to supply goals but failed to deliver. Rickie now looks out of place and ....our leading scorer needs perhaps 10-15 chances to put the ball in the net. Our football is as good as I've ever seen from Saints (50 years this coming year) but we need someone reliable in front of goal if we are to take the next step up.

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davidhosey added 11:30 - Mar 4 If you look at the stats which I do after every game you will find that we always boss possession. This is good news for our general style and pressing style. Where we fall down is that while we nearly always have more shots, we have less shots on target generally and most importantly we convert a smaller ratio into goals than the opposition. The Villa match saw them have 3 shots on goal and 3 goals. This sums up so many of our games. We are not clinical enough. For me we need a clinical striker and a goal scoring midfielder. Cover in central defence also. We will always be safe if we play as we do but will never challenge for honours if we cannot create and convert more chances

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Owtsgmi added 11:42 - Mar 4 I think you make some really good points in this article. Our ability to change a game that is hitting a stalemate is pretty non-existent - a quick winger would be a real bonus. I agree with saintnige about the quality of football - watching us this year has been an absolute pleasure and yet I understand there is some frustration - I think there would be a difference if we had a Cup quarter final this weekend - the optimism, the possibility of Wembley would over-ride some of the negativity. The selection/performance at Sunderland was Poch's real one big error since he came as it has changed the outlook on the season. However, we have to remember where we were 3 years ago - progress has been immense. I have my tickets for the Saints/Denmark game tomorrow and I will go there wearing my colours very proudly.

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ExiledSupporter added 11:57 - Mar 4 Spot on, Nick. Your key argument is exactly right...we operate an inflexible system and do not have the players to alter our tactics if Plan A doesn't work. In fact we have deliberately disposed of the players who perhaps would have fulfilled this need like Osvaldo (entirely justifiable), Puncheon (what were we thinking about...ok, hardly a world beater but someone who gave us an alternative tactic) and we have little faith in Ramirez (arguably our most naturally talented player, but questionable commitment and apparently little ability to put in a sustained shift) Lots to be sorted out in the summer including the need for Pochetino to rethink his fundamental assumptions and prove he is more than a one trick pony.

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SaintNick added 12:41 - Mar 4 The problem is we dont convert enough chances at one end and let in too many at the other, our goal scoring record is not great in fact we have scored one less than at the same stage last year, I would suggest that our passing in midfield is great, but our football isnt as good as we think
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Saintpaul120 added 12:54 - Mar 4 Very good, accurate, article Nick. The BIG questions for this summer though are 1. Which players will be tempted away by the BIG clubs. 2. Will Pochetinno sign a BIG fat new contract and finally, but possibly more importantly, will KL provide the necessary injection of cash to take us to Valhalla??:-)
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saintmark1976 added 12:59 - Mar 4 In my opinion the problem is not one of players but tactics and Mo Po's sterile unchanging system of play. In Lambert we have a player who given service will score goals. Why not play to his strengths for once? Let him lead the line and if we have to play the long ball game to do this then so what. If Lambert is not Mo Po's cup of tea then play the kid at centre forward. Play some balls over the top for Jay Rod to use his pace. Let Shaw play in the midfield and down the wing as to me he appears a far better player going forward than in defence a la Bale. Quite simply if we can not change things when we are safe from relegation and can experiment with out fear then will Mo Po ever be able to manage effectively? In other words just do something, please anything, different.

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saintmark1976 added 12:59 - Mar 4 In my opinion the problem is not one of players but tactics and Mo Po's sterile unchanging system of play. In Lambert we have a player who given service will score goals. Why not play to his strengths for once? Let him lead the line and if we have to play the long ball game to do this then so what. If Lambert is not Mo Po's cup of tea then play the kid at centre forward. Play some balls over the top for Jay Rod to use his pace. Let Shaw play in the midfield and down the wing as to me he appears a far better player going forward than in defence a la Bale. Quite simply if we can not change things when we are safe from relegation and can experiment with out fear then will Mo Po ever be able to manage effectively? In other words just do something, please anything, different.

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halftimeorange added 13:13 - Mar 4 I think that ninth is about as good as it gets for a club like ours. Southampton is not a big city and invariably all the top European teams come from big cities where they enjoy relatively huge support and command bigger all-round sales. It is true that we offer little variety and several of our current first-team are either greenhorns or simply not PL class. More talented youngsters wait in the wings but next season what will our line-up be, starting with the manager? Our set-up should more or less guarantee mid-table results but it will be a rare thing if Saints grace the higher reaches of the PL. Cup success is another thing. Maybe our next manager will give that priority. In the meantime we should revel in the decent standard of football on show but we have to be realistic.

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REEDYREEDOREEDZ added 13:45 - Mar 4 Spot on Nick. The thing that will make the biggest difference to Southampton is having a quality striker who can score over 15 goals a season. Someone with loads of pace, great movement off the ball and can finish. A Daniel Sturridge or Sergio Aguero type. Saints were obviously looking for a finisher in Osvaldo but he wasn't up to it. On paper it looked like a good aquisition with his great record in Italy but some players just aren't cut out for English football. So maybe Saints need to go for a proven Premiership striker. How about Loic Remy for £20m? He's still available from QPR. Its a lot of money but he fits in to the mould of what we are looking for, and we know he can perform in the Premiership. If you buy from abroad its always a risk.

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dirk_doone added 14:15 - Mar 4 A good early season set of fixtures obviously helped us, much as it did West Ham last season.
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slynch added 14:32 - Mar 4 Fact: No team has scored more goals than Saints outside the top 4 apart from Man U.
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SaintNick added 14:40 - Mar 4 a look at our goals for and goals against column shows that they are entirely in line with our league position, most teams above us have conceded more, most teams above us have scored around the same or more, your statement about the top 4 + Man U is a little misleading, you could have said that of the 8 teams above us, 5 have scored more, Everton have scored the same having plyed one less game and the other two Spurs and newcastle have all scored only one less

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slynch added 15:05 - Mar 4 I could have said that but my mind is not that convoluted!
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abingdonsaint added 18:50 - Mar 4 Some good points, but also the usual misunderstandings about the strategy of the club. As I keep harping on about, performances lead to results, not the other way round. Our main failing is not converting our superiority into goals, and there is no doubt that in order to continue our progression (and no, in my opinion 9th is NOT as good as it can get!) we need to find a way to be more clinical, either by tweaking the way we play, or with new blood either from the academy or brought in. However, Pochettino is not an idiot, he will be more than aware of this. What will not change is the basic style of play to which the entire club, through all age groups in committed to. We just need to get a bit better and cuter at it. Talk of other clubs being in a relegation battle following similar relative success, are irrelevant in my view. The main difference between us, and say West Brom, is the quality of our young players, and the main challenge for us is keeping them for as long as possible as they will only improve and make us stronger. The negative assumption that the 'big clubs' will just pick them off is self defeating as it is only a positive attitude that will entice them to stay (along with decent money!) This is one if the reasons that Cortese was always so bullish. He was trying to break away from this underdog mentality. At the moment, Luke Shaw, Chambers etc are playing in the Premier League with mates who they have been with since they were 8 years old. They are living the dream! So, let's enjoy the football we are watching, be thankful we don't have to watch West Ham every week, and look forward with positivity (and hopefully Poch next season!)

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NigD added 20:59 - Mar 4 Abingdonsaint. Totally agree with you. The season has been great fun. Some very depressing entries prior to yours. If we had Suarez in our team on Saturday and they had nobody of similar talent, who would have won that game? We would be top six and not just top ten. If we wish to reach the next level, we may well have to spend a fortune on a pacy skilful goalscorer. Osvaldo and Ramirez were purchased to get us up a level. For whatever reasons they have failed. Ramirez is too slow and lacking in what we need. Move them on and try again. Have never enjoyed the quality of football being played more.

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cheltenhamsaint added 21:34 - Mar 4 I wouldn't disagree with those that think we do not win games that we should but would ask them to temper their expectations, certainly in the short term. Football managers do not reach their peak until they are in their late forties to early fifties (Mourinho, Wenger and Ferguson spring to mind) as they need to learn their trade like we all do in whatever walk of life we participate. MP is barely out of his apprenticeship at Espanyol and is in his first full season at only his second post. Add to that he is learning in a foreign country. Could you or I ply our trade to our best in a foreign land/culture/language without a bedding in period of a year or two? He is learning what it takes to go to Carrow Road (in August and lose) and go to Hull (and win) midweek in February. Some of the clubs, grounds and managers he is still "playing" against for the first time. Yes he will make mistakes, limited by the resources available to him, but I perceive him to be an intelligent man, very thoughtful, about his and the team's performance. Judging him as a one trick pony, at this stage, is like saying Luke Shaw is sometimes defensively naive or sometimes caught out of position and we should get rid because he cannot take us any further. Possibly true but the potential is there. Just my glass three quarters full opinion. Good debate and diversity of views as always.

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Sango123 added 03:03 - Mar 5 Great article, we would have been in the relegation mix if not for our first 11 matches. We are definitely not as good as we think. Possession makes us think we control the match but we are merely passing the ball near the halfway line or outside the penalty box. The game has evolved so much that lots of team simply play on the counter and we are very susceptible to the counter due to our high line. Pace is a very necessary weapon to open up defence. Nowadays our main attacking thread is usually from the overlapping run of Shaw. MP is a 1 trick pony just like Southampton is a 1 tactic team as well. Did we alter anything tactically the whole season?

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ExiledSupporter added 09:23 - Mar 5 MP's tactics might produce much better results if we had a fast and mobile central striker (that's not Rickie even when he is played in position) with predatory instincts. A No.10 who distributes imaginatively, plays with his head up, can score from distance (all of which Ramirez possesses but demonstrates inconsistently) but unlike GR needs to sustain the required levels of commitment to play in the PL. And finally (as always...) another strong centre back. Of course a fast winger with two feet would be a great addition but given the priority of the above three additions I doubt whether we can afford him...unless we can get Gaston to play. With nothing to lose I think MP should play Ramirez from the start in every remaining match and then despatch him elsewhere if he doesn't shape up by then.

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