GORDON STRACHAN was typically honest in admitting he got certain decisions wrong on Saturday.

The Saints boss didn't expand further, but the most surprising element of Saturday's team sheet was the complete omission of Leandre Griffit.

There has been no mention of injury to the Frenchman prior or post-match, so it can only be assumed he was left-out in favour of Strachan's more experienced options.

The 19-year-old, of course, marked his debut last week with a beautifully taken goal against Blackburn to follow a string of eye-catching displays for the reserve team this season.

No one was suggesting he should be thrown straight into the starting line-up, but given Saints' lack of creativity it seemed safe to assume he would continue his progression from the bench.

He was again a substitute in the 3-0 win against Bristol City on Tuesday, but was not brought on as Saints coasted to victory.

On Saturday, Neil McCann, Paul Telfer, Chris Marsden and Fabrice Fernandes were the preferred quartet of the likely wide players in the 16-man squad.

Strachan is acutely aware of the worth of experience and will rightly not consider advancing years as a good reason to write off careers.

He knows from his own experience that by properly looking after yourself, it is possible for footballers to be at their most influential into their 30s.

But he also knows from his playing days that footballers tend to be at their best in terms of flair earlier in their career.

Strachan has brilliantly assembled an incredibly hard-working and difficult team to beat, which has plenty of influential professionals now in their 30s.

It has been an important characteristic in already taking Saints way beyond the expectations of even the most fervent optimist in the past two years.

But to keep improving what Saints lack is a dose of flair, imagination and even that element of the unexpected which often comes with youth.

On this season's form in both the reserves and briefly the first team, Griffit has shown more of that than virtually any Southampton player.

Don't forget in six minutes last week he achieved what no Southampton midfielder has done all season by scoring.

His performances in the reserves prove that it was no lucky goal.

Strachan is rightly protective of his young players and has seen how pushing teenagers into the spotlight too early can damage their careers.

But that's not always the case, as the likes of Michael Owen and Ryan Giggs have proved.

Basically it comes down to the temperament of each individual and from the outside Griffit has looked completely undaunted at every stage of his speedy development.

As with older professionals, age should be irrelevant and the young Frenchman has surely now earned a chance purely on merit.