CONTINUITY has been the word for Steve Wigley since taking over as Saints head coach last month.

The two sides he has picked have been very similar to those his predecessor Paul Sturrock would probably have selected. Consecutive 2-1 defeats to Bolton and Chelsea - both flying high - have followed.

With the squad at its deepest in recent memory and the transfer-window now slammed shut, the challenge for Wigley is to find the right blend.

Although there is a certain amount of pessimism about the season ahead, fans should have cause for optimism when looking at the club as a whole.

Investment in the academy is beginning to pay dividends and results at Under-16, Aunder-18 and reserve levels this season have been a testament to the strength below the first-team.

But it is with the top group of players that Saints will ultimately be judged.

Confidence has not looked high and the club is desperate to rediscover some momentum.

So what options are open to Wigley?

GOALKEEPERS/DEFENCE

The most certain selection in the entire Saints team has to be Antti Niemi in goal.

Goalkeeping coach David Coles has also done a great job working with the likes of Alan Blayney, Paul Smith and Michael Poke and there is plenty of back-up.

But with two goals conceded in every match this season, Saints have noticeably been more shaky at the back. That is largely due to the absence of Michael Svensson, who is not expected back until after Christmas.

The transfer-window deadline-day capture of Svensson's Swedish compatriot Andreas Jakobsson is shrewd and he looks likely to displace Danny Higginbotham and partner Claus Lundekvam in the centre tonight.

Paul Telfer and Graeme Le Saux are favourites to continue as full-backs.

Some may be calling for radical change in the defence with the likes of Jelle van Damme, Darren Kenton, Martin Cranie and Matthew Mills all pushing for places, but it would surely still be sensible to give those proven players more of a chance to settle.

The worry, of course, is that Lundekvam, Jakobsson, Telfer and Le Saux are all the wrong side of 30. Experienced certainly, but it is not a unit bristling with pace.

MIDFIELD

For more than a year, the midfield has been the area of the team that seems to have caused easily the most concern to messrs Gordon Strachan, Sturrock and Wigley.

In the 2002/3 season it was a strength, but now it has become a weakness.

The reason is quite simply the loss, for differing reasons, of Chris Marsden and Matthew Oakley.

Anders Svensson, Graeme Le Saux, David Prutton, Marian Pahars, Leandre Griffit and Neil McCann have all been used to varying degrees of success on the left, but have not really established themselves as a successor to Marsden.

In the centre, the absence of Oakley has been felt very badly. David Prutton and Rory Delap have their strengths, but do lack the passing ability of Oakley.

A failure to keep the ball consistently has been the main feature of Saints' most disappointing recent performances.

Yoann Folly has shown himself to be a possible alternative in that holding role with Oakley getting close to a return from injury.

On the right, the form of Fabrice Fernandes has been a major boost.

Mikael Nilsson should come back into contention, while the genuine goalscoring threat of Griffit will surely also be considered when he returns to fitness.

If Wigley can find a quartet to perform consistently well in midfield during the next few months, he will have solved perhaps the major selection headache.

If he can't, after almost a year now of disappointing performances, there will be an argument for more far-reaching changes come the transfer-window in January.

FORWARDS

After Niemi, Kevin Phillips and James Beattie are probably the next two names on the team-sheet right now.

They also look the best hope to supply the ammunition for a top-half finish.

Both have made solid starts to the season, particularly given a lack of consistent service and they are also still developing as a partnership.

Phillips tends to drop into the hole between the midfield and attack to link-up play, while Beattie's strength remains his general work-rate and strong aerial presence.

Both look sharp in the penalty-area and are equally dangerous shooting from distance.

Elsewhere, Peter Crouch has been excellent since his arrival from Aston Villa. He has been on target in pre-season, for the reserves and against Bolton during a brief appearance as a substitute.

Crouch's unusual footballing physique certainly provides something different and he looks a useful option on the bench.

Elsewhere, young Leon Best has been on fire this season and is certainly worth playing sooner rather than later, while Dexter Blackstock is also emerging.

Wigley may soon have to consider a system whereby these outstanding prospects have a chance to play in the same team as Phillips and Beattie.

Elsewhere, it remains to be seen whether Brett Ormerod - who has been a great servant - will be able to push for first-team football this season. It won't be easy, but he has a habit of bouncing back when faced with a challenge.