IF only Harry Redknapp could perform drastic body surgery on two of his squad.

Cut off Darren Kenton's legs and stick them on Jason Dodd and he would have the exact defender his shell-shocked Saints side so desperately need.

Pace and leadership are the qualities Redknapp highlighted as those he needs most.

But while Kenton certainly has plenty of speed and Dodd is a talismanic personality, the fact that they are both currently on loan hardly suggests he sees either of them as the answer.

But Redknapp is spot on when he earmarks the defence as the root of so many of Saints' difficulties.

Under Gordon Strachan, Saints were no better in front of goal. The difference, of course, is all at the back.

Last season, Saints were mostly averaging the loss of just a goal per game. And once they got a lead that was generally the end of the match.

But Chelsea, Arsenal, Norwich, Middlesbrough, West Brom, Everton and now Aston Villa.

It's getting difficult to keep track of all the matches that have been drawn or lost from winning positions.

A ratio of 54 goals conceded in 33 matches also tells it own story.

Peter Crouch and Kevin Phillips were excellent together on Saturday and will continue to give Saints a chance, but everything looks so brittle at the back, particularly in the centre, that it is going to be impossible to relax.

Even at 2-0 on Saturday, it was a case of holding your breath and hoping for the best whenever Villa surged forward.

Nerves really crept in once it went 2-1 and the ensuing collapse did not come as a surprise.

But what does Redknapp do?

It was unfortunate to lose Andreas Jakobsson at half-time, but the Swede and Claus Lundekvam have not exactly looked secure this season.

Indeed, without a dominant character like Michael Svensson, Paul Williams or Dean Richards alongside him, Lundekvam has been struggling.

Transfer window loan signing Calum Davenport is a decent prospect, but is not looking the complete answer.

Saints really need someone who is a big character with a strong physical presence.

The sight of defenders backing away to allow people to run at them has become a horribly familiar sight this season.

Perhaps Redknapp will opt to recall Danny Higginbotham. The former Manchester United man does sometimes make honest mistakes but few will fight harder and be more prepared to get stuck into an opponent.

The only other current options are at the younger end of the club.

Martin Cranie and Matthew Mills are the England under-19 first choice centre-back pairing and Redknapp could withdraw Cranie from tonight's FA Youth Cup final so that he can join the squad to face Bolton.

It would be a big decision to draft him into the team at this stage of the season, but it also looks pretty risky to persist with various combinations of Lundekvam, Jakobsson and Davenport.

The loss of Michael Svensson at the heart of the defence has quite clearly been the difference between mid-table security and the perilous situation Saints currently endure.

What's more, the sale of Fitz Hall to Crystal Palace looks a big error.

Saints still have a squad capable of remaining in the Premiership, but the defence will now have to ride their luck or somehow rediscover their self-belief in the last 450 minutes of the season for that to happen.