Saturday's game against West Bromwich Albion marked the quater way mark in the season, or as near as you can get, our tenth place position suggests that this season can still turn out to be a good one.

Even the most ardent Saints supporter would not claim that this has been a great start to our season, however it has been a solid if unspectacular one.

There are a few reasons for that, another change of manager hasn't helped, but he has had to contend with a difficult start to his reign with his best player sat on the touchlines for the opening four League games and the attendant issues that have surrounded the club in this affair.

So a little leeway should be given to Mauricio Pellegrino when assessing his start at St Mary's, indeed no manager should be judged on their opening 9 games at a club, there is too much chopping and changing in the Premier League these days, it rarely improves things that much as Crystal Palace are finding out.

But there is plenty of hope out there for Saints fans about the rest of this season, whilst people rave about Watford & Huddersfield's start to the season, it should be noted that we are only 3 points behind the Hornets and ahead of the Yorkshire club on goal difference, indeed if we had drawn with Watford at St Mary's then we would be above them now and in 7th place.

Of course that is all if's and but's, however it does show just how compressed this league is at present and how near we are to being able to not only finish in the top ten for a 5th season running, but perhaps even replicate our sixth place showing of a couple of years ago.

Currently we sit only 4 points behind Chelsea in 4th, but realistically our aim is to firstly secure that 7th spot and then hope that Liverpool continue to lose games and try and overhaul them for sixth, that will be a big ask but given how this season has started not an unrealistic one.

As mentioned the likes of Watford, Huddersfield, Burnley and even Newcastle have started well and we have not been consistent, but we are still in and amongst them, if we can find that spark and reignite our form then there is no reason why we cannot replicate that 2015/16 season finish.

That season is now looked upon as one that was utra entertaining, but the perception is a lot different to the reality, we spent much of that season in the same type of form we are in now, short bursts of wins followed by games where we should really have done better.

After 9 games that season we had 13 points, only one more than we have now, after 29 games we had 41 points, that was an average of 1.4 points per game, not that far removed from our ratio so far this season.

At the end of that season we won 7 out of the last 9, surging into 6th spot, but we shouldn't let that end of season flourish paint the rest of that year in a far rosier light than it actually was.

We need to do what we did back ten for most of the season and that is keep rinding out results and keep ourselves in the top ten and on the coat tails of the top six.

The cause for optimism is the fact that we sit right in amongst the pack after all our trials and tribulations and without finding our form, if we can do that then we will not have a problem this season.

The one lesson that we are constantly reminded of but which so many fail to learn is that of patience, even Saturday's win over West Brom was a lesson in never giving up until the final whistle, especially when there is so little in the game.

The pattern of the last three seasons starts including this one has been roughly the same, average starts followed by a surge in the second half of the season, that is what we have to look for this term, form is temporary, class is permanent and if we keep grinding out results as we did on Saturday then we keep ourselves in the mixer and when we find form it will push us forward.

I think we have been spoiled over the past 8 years, in our resurgence back up the leagues, some supporters became used to year on year improvement, they assumed that every year would be better than the last, the truth is that it could be said that we have improved year on year, although last term was the first in those 8 years we droppd back a place, a Wembley Cup Final was proof that the progress was still happening.

The reality is that a plateau was always going to be reached, once we hit 7th place it would be very hard to get higher due to the much much greater financial strength of those big six clubs, not to mention the likes of Everton and now Newcastle who potentially have much bigger support and income than ourselves.

Everton are a classic case of where the Premier League is going wrong, the clubs that think that money can make up for infrastructure and planning ultimately do not achieve their goals as the likes of Aston Villa, Leeds and even Sunderland are all finding out down in the Championship.

Those that panic at every blip often find themselves just lurching from one crisis to another and paying the price.

It may be difficult for some fans to accept, but it cannot be great every week, every month or even every season, there are always going to be blips, we are always going to have the issue of players wanting to go to bigger clubs, we have to deal with it and use it to our advantage, as we have done, yes I would prefer to see players stay longer, but I would still have rather have had Lovren for 1 season, Aderweireld for 1 season and Van Dijk for two good ones, than having Yoshida in the team in their place for those four seasons.

No disrespect to Yoshida who has been a true club stalwart, but our standards have risen and have done so because we have used those players to our own ends as much as they have used us.

So patience is the name of the game, give this manager time to show he has what it takes, stay behind the team as we did on Saturday and there is every chance that this season could be as good as the last ones.

Sixth place is a good target, Everton were considered the favourites for this spot if a big six team failed, but they are in disarray, Liverpool likewise, we have to do what we do these days and quietly get on with things and surprise teams when we pop up from seemingly nowhere.

Photo: Action Images

Whiteknight added 11:03 - Oct 23 Nick - let's get some consistency first! 2 wins on the trot (if not 3) would help to reinforce our position as top 7 contenders but we are only 4 points above the relegation zone. As you said , it's a very compressed league. On another note, please stop banging on about Yoshida - it's very boring and bordering on the disrespectful to a player who has never stopped giving his all for a club he clearly loves. You haven't mentioned Redmond, Tadic or Forster in this article - all of whom are bigger issues for most Saints supporters.

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SaintNick added 11:13 - Oct 23 Whiteknight, I was a bit loathe to bang on about Yoshida, but the central defensive position is a bit of a point in kind about using the transfer market to good effect, the form of individual players wasnt the point of this article. Do you disagree with me on the point though, would you have preferred to have had Yoshida than those three ? I could suggest that Tadic could be compared to Yoshida or even Forster who turned down offers when he was injured

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SanMarco added 11:17 - Oct 23 We have only played one of the big boys so far and lost at home to a less than awe-inspiring manure. Let's play a few more of the 'top six' and see how we are doing in December. To have any chance of challenging for 6th we will have to recreate Koeman era levels of results against the big teams. I think Nick is right about a slight tendency to over-rate that last Koeman season but is only human to create 'golden eras' when things aren't going quite so well. And, of course, that is now Koeman's golden era too isn't it?! I bet he thought of that 4-0 while against Arsenal while watching yesterday's catastrophe...

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Sanguin added 11:18 - Oct 23 This is all good and correct, but we have had a relatively easy first quarter of the season and we have dropped points that we will regret come the end of the season. To finish well we need to pick up some points against the bigger teams. I agree with you on Yoshida but he's improved a lot over the past year and there must be a reason that he's preferred to Hoedt.
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SaintNick added 11:23 - Oct 23 We can only play who we are up against, it will even itself out an then we will see, after Hoedt's performance against Palace and united I cant see any reason why he would not play
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1962saint added 11:24 - Oct 23 Saints aren't playing anywhere near a top 6 side, low scoring attack and looking very vulnerable in defence when the better teams attack us. Nick compares our point total being only one point less than last year but ignores the stat that, of the 9 games this season, we have played 6 at home and only 3 away. If we win at Brighton next Sunday I may feel more optimistic.

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pete_boggs added 11:43 - Oct 23 I would rather watch the game than look at the prem table. We didn't look like scoring until Boufal caught the W Boring Albion out. We need attacking options.
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aceofthebase added 11:50 - Oct 23 I and many others are getting sick to death of your anti Yoshida rants, however carefully disguised. Others make mistakes but do not suffer from your venomous tongue. It's time you retired Nick
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Abbosaint added 12:02 - Oct 23 As 1962 saint points out, we have played 6 of our 9 games at home. Worryingly, we have managed to gain only 8 points from these games, hardly the form of a 'top six' team. Our ponderous build up play and lack of a clinical finishing edge make us easy to defend against. Forster continues to be a source of great concern. I think the defence has coped quite well generally, despite having a goalkeeper behind them who creates so much indecision and uncertainty. He appears to lack the ability to deal with centres and to catch high balls. To add to his weaknesses, he has conceded several goals this season after ill-directed initial blocks by him. As for Yoshida, he is a much improved player in my opinion, reading the game well and making very few mistakes. Also, he has been our main goal threat in many games!

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patred added 12:03 - Oct 23 whoa hold those horses...just as we are capable of going on a 3-4 game winning streak 3-4 we are more than caple of turning that into defeats. This team is far from 'right'. The Yoshida situation is only one of several problems that need putting right before we can have any confidence of not being dragged into a dogfight down the bottom. Goalkeeping needs sorting, Central defenders pecking order is not clear and we are in danger of upsetting our best center back, Hoedt, after only 2 months. Our midfield, despite two of the best DM's in the PL, is disjointed and incapable of providing any creativity. This impacts on forwards who are fighting lone battles up top. Boufals wonder goal against a lackluster WBA will not hide those unsoved problems. Yes, it is a welcome start and a refreshing change in attitude of our midfielders normal negative play but it won't make us a top 6 team, until those other problems are resolved.

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thornhill1976 added 12:35 - Oct 23 Top six? Step away from the crack-pipe! More chance of Redmond putting in a good performance or Ward-Prowse scoring a free kick.
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Whiteknight added 13:13 - Oct 23 Firstly, I did not suggest that I would rather have Yoshida than any of the options you have mentioned and to be honest this was a bit of a childish retort. I am not sure what the best central defence combination is at the moment. All three VVD, Hoedt and Yoshida have something to offer the team. We have the equal fifth least goals against record and the defence/DM department is arguably our strongest area. As a result, I don't understand why the only negative comments in this article are reserved for Yoshida. I would be interested to see the average player ratings for the season so far and would be willing to bet that Yoshida scores relatively highly. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I respect the fact that you share yours week in and week out. However, if you were a bit more balanced in your criticism then maybe your views could be taken more seriously but for some time now they have come across as being a personal vendetta against Yoshida based on an unhealthy obsession coupled with mis-placed optimism about how good Saints really are.

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1970 added 13:28 - Oct 23 behave yourself Nick a top six finish, we have a manager that's very much learning his trade and the most feeble attack in prem history and a very soft underbelly we should just keep quiet and try and stay above the 3 worst teams than us but for the life of me I cant work out who they are, coyr
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pintsizedsaint added 13:47 - Oct 23 I write this just as it is being announced that Koeman has been sacked... I tend to agree with Nick - it's been a solid if unspectacular start. I think a lot of that is down to the changes and I think MP has done a good job steadying the ship. For me, there is still a lot of residue left from the end of Puel's reign, which is perhaps best illustrated by Shane Long's drought. Performance in sport (at the highest level) is affected by psychology in many ways, as is even the little things can make a big difference. Saints are still very nervous when playing at home, not helped by changes in manager preceded by strange choices in tactics. Inability to score can quickly change from a non-issue to the biggest challenge in a short space in time. What is clear is that MP is slowly building here: probably knowing that all out overnight changes will not work and will see deterioration. I think he is playing to strengths as much as he can. Whilst that has not got us back to the 'heady' seasons of before, it is certainly going in the right direction. And we have to remember that, for most seasons back in the EPL, we haven't ever 'hit the ground running'. So it's OK so far. It could have been a disaster: you only have to look at Palace to see what happens when a new manager tries to implement radical changes overnight.

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abingdonsaint added 13:53 - Oct 23 Blimey Nick. You never miss an opportunity to have a go at poor old Yoshida. Good job he’s not been playing in goal, as if he had been playing like Forster you would have been trying to get him arrested or deported by now! I agree that he may not be as good as our other central defenders, but only because they happen to be exceptional. He is still very competent and has definitely improved over the last couple of seasons. More importantly, his commitment to the cause is unquestionable, unlike some others. Don’t forget it’s a team sport. Sometimes the best individuals are not the best choice.....

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Hamnottingham added 14:11 - Oct 23 My memory of 2015/16 is of a fair % of games where we were by far the better side and being unlucky not to come away with 3 points. Couple that with really pushing the ultra rich big 6 each time we met them and feeling aggrieved not to get more out of those games. There were a few poor performances in between of course but then it all came together for the run in and what a great season it became. That's a far cry from this season's early form. I get the point that we can look forward (when our glass is half full) to a mid table finish, in itself a not a bad thing as we build a stronger and stronger base over the years, but to intimate that we can emulate that Koeman season is really stretching it. I keep coming back to the point about how many sides out of our first season back up in the Premiership have consistently stayed there. Only 5 of us outside the big 6 and Everton. Saints, WBA, Swansea, West Ham and Stoke should all consider it a great achievement to still be there after 5 seasons as there is a turnover of 3 out of 13 every year given that the big 6 and Everton never go down. Where Saints stand out above those 'also-rans' is that only ourselves (twice) and Leicester (once) have finished in the top 7 in those years

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Consigliere added 14:55 - Oct 23 Completely off thread but I thought that the sacking of Koeman by Everton half an hour ago deserved a considered, measured, intellectual and philosophical response So here goes: Ha ha ha ha ha ha
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the_saint added 15:07 - Oct 23 I can see nicks point on Yoshida it’s not like he’s being chased by any of the big clubs but yoshi goes out there wears his heart on his sleeve and gives 110% and makes it damn impossible to drop him by playing very well. So the question is how can you drop him nick that would just send the message out that how ever well you play it doesn’t matter
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steve73 added 15:56 - Oct 23 Top six? Not a chance. I like the manager and think he'll do ok given time but I don't think our squad's anywhere near strong enough to achieve that position. We've been treading water while others have invested and improved. Top sixteen would be more realistic.
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BoondockSaint added 16:05 - Oct 23 Stop the Yoshi bashing-our defenders are not the problem. Forster's Joe Hart imitations and our lack of scoring is. We have played the softest part of our schedule and failed to pile up the points we should have.
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rjh added 16:09 - Oct 23 Top six? Absolutely no way. Would be happy to stay up. We have had eight winnable fixtures.
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schatfield added 16:33 - Oct 23 10th if we are lucky, I can't see any higher than that to be honest, not without our strikers discovering where the net is and always playing Forster in goal
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Whatsforpud added 16:46 - Oct 23 Nick, as most have said, leave Yoshida alone. He has improved so much that it genuinely is a case of perm any two from three. On the Forster issue, where would you rank him out of the regular Premier League goalkeepers?
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helpineedsomebody added 16:50 - Oct 23 there are 2 types of dreams 1 delutional dream 2 a wet dream i presume nick you had a no1 watching the saints for many years until the fans are confident & the players start getting results their is im afraid only one chance no2
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saintpp added 17:11 - Oct 23 Some good points there Nick but comparing our start to previous years is little skewed we have had winnable games apart from man utd and have let points slide. See where we are after our tough run of games in december. We have a manager who doesnt know who is best players are yet or what formation to play thinks Long is a forward and davis is an attacking mf player. Hope he a quick learner he seems scared to play Boufal instead of Long up front with his safety first tactics Ill be happy just to stay up the way its been going.

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