THE similarities with last season's FA Cup third round were much highlighted in the build-up to Saturday's game with Newcastle.

A home draw, Premiership opposition and an early evening kick-off live on BBC gave those who believe in omens plenty to dream about.

Unfortunately the final similarity to last season was that one team ended up embarrassed.

Where Tottenham were on the end of a 4-0 defeat last year, Saints got a taste of the same rather unpleasant medicine with Saturday's 3-0 beating.

Prior to the match, boss Gordon Strachan used a cricketing analogy to describe his team.

He feels that Saints produce their best when playing with energy - likening them to fast bowlers, rather than a spin attack which relies on guile.

Newcastle manager Sir Bobby Robson certainly bowled something of a googly by drafting in Kieron Dyer alongside Alan Shearer up front.

Saints played all round this particular delivery.

Just as the team are encouraged to play at the same high tempo, the quartet of Jason Dodd, Claus Lundekvam, Michael Svensson and Danny Higginbotham also seem to prefer a nice predictable pace coming at them.

But like most sides this season who have really troubled the defence, Newcastle had a player in Dyer who drifted deeper and into positions which caused confusion by their unpredictability.

Louis Saha, Steed Malbranque, Thierry Henry and Robert Pires did it to the same fatal effect in the other recent defeats.

Defending against teams who - in Strachan terminology - can bowl a decent leg-break is the one defensive weakness which most obviously needs addressing.

Elsewhere, it remains the Southampton midfield which is batting on the stickiest wicket - and still largely performing like a bunch of tailenders.

Changes seem pretty much guaranteed for Leicester on Wednesday.

Increasingly, it is rather like a game of musical chairs as Strachan desperately searches for his best blend in the centre of the park.

The only players keeping their backsides warm at present are Paul Telfer and David Prutton, retaining positions on the right and the centre of midfield during the last seven matches.

Elsewhere, Rory Delap, Leandre Griffit, Marian Pahars, Anders Svensson, Chris Marsden, Fabrice Fernandes and Neil McCann have all been in and out to varying success.

The Saints manager is giving opportunities for players to stake their claim as regular starters, but right now things are getting worse, not better.

Telfer is currently struggling for form, leaving Prutton the only midfielder to stand out since the loss of Matt Oakley through injury for the rest of the season.

Frenchman Fernandes has not been rotated into the team for the past month and deserves another chance, if only to freshen up a right flank which, going forward, can only be described as plodding at present.

Telfer has been excellent for Saints in the past 16 months and should not necessarily lose his place - it's just that he has looked better at either right-back or in central midfield.

As has been the case in just about every Saints game this season, the first goal was absolutely critical with Strachan's men again displaying real deficiencies when needing to chase a game.

Of course, more than most sports, there is a wafer-thin dividing line between success and failure in football.

Ten days ago, the city was dreaming not just of Europe, but of the Champions League.

Three games later, the mood of disappointment is such that you could be forgiven for thinking Saints were now really fighting for their Premiership survival.

It's certainly disappointing to go out of the FA Cup, but the league remains the priority and was always the most likely avenue for a return to European football.

Yes, the manner of these three losses is a worry, but sometimes things should still be brought into perspective.

They are eighth and a top-half finish remains a decent season, while UEFA Cup qualification would still represent a massive achievement.

We now know the season will not end with another big day out at the Millennium Stadium.

Yet there is plenty up for grabs as Saints prepare for their forthcoming series of 19 mini Cup finals.