SURVIVAL is understandably the overriding priority for most Premiership teams at the start of every season.

That might sound negative, but given the financial rewards which accompany top-flight football compared to the Championship, it has become a fact of life.

Relegation frightens Premiership football clubs like never before and it is an emotion which has unquestionably changed the way clubs are run and teams are managed.

Perpetuated by the expectations of supporters and impatient chairmen, as well as a media with an unquenchable thirst for football, the desire for immediate gain seems to dominate virtually every decision. The need for instant success is felt most heavily by the managers where the glare is more intense than ever.

Take Steve Wigley. Saints deserve credit for the attention they have given their academy, yet there was speculation the head coach could still have lost his job after just 11 league games at the helm had his team lost the south-coast derby.

Such pressure must influence your decision-making.

Think about it. If your job depended on the performance of others, would you opt for the extremely dependable type or someone who might be brilliant, but who is largely unproven under pressure?

Wigley was widely praised for his selections following the derby victory over Pompey. With the exception of Dexter Blackstock, he went with experience. He wanted players he could rely on and, by and large, they delivered.

Not so much in the breathtaking quality of their football, but by their presence and sheer effort.

Wigley opted for a similar team against Norwich last Saturday. Yet this time, in a very different game, his players came unstuck.

More worryingly, it was the performance at Carrow Road which was more typical of Saints' general displays this season. There was grit, but also a lack of sparkle.

With the reserves and academy teams performing so well, it has certainly made many wonder whether the time has come for an introduction of more of the younger, less experienced players at first-team level.

It would certainly be something of a gamble. Equally, though, there are several players who must feel they have earned their chance, particularly at a time when results have been poor.

The most obvious example is Leandre Griffit. He promises much of what Saints lack, most notably a knack of scoring and creating goals from midfield.

It is now more than a year since Griffit burst on the scene with a goal on his debut against Blackburn, but he has since made just two starts as well as four substitutes appearances, also scoring against Newcastle last May.

Why? Because the past three managers or head coaches have mostly decided that defensive and positional security is more important than having an extra threat.

Others who must now be knocking loudly at the door include Yoann Folly and Jelle van Damme. Like Griffit, both are slightly raw, yet both have already showed the potential to develop into excellent Premiership footballers during stints in the first-team.

In the case of Van Damme, it's surprising that the possibility of linking him up with Graeme Le Saux on the left hasn't been tried this season, as it was in pre-season.

Another who must be desperate for a chance is Chris Baird. Excellent in the FA Cup final, yet he has pretty much disappeared from sight ever since.

There is also a crop of younger players, headed by the likes of Martin Cranie, Matthew Mills, Leon Best, Andrew Surman, Simon Gillett and even 15-year-old Theo Walcott, who could be on Wigley's mind in the not too distant future.

Wigley, of course, is better judged than anyone to assess his options. He knows the youngsters very well from his former role as director of youth.

He initially played Blackstock after injuries to other strikers, but it worked out and the 18-year-old has stayed in the team recently ahead of Kevin Phillips and Peter Crouch.

Generally, though, Wigley has shown great faith in an established group of first-teamers.

But is the time approaching when a few more risks could prove to be the safest option?