FORMER Saints boss Alan Ball delivered his damning one-word verdict on Saints' Sky-televised stalemate at Goodison Park yesterday - dross.

The England World Cup winner, writing in his exclusive Daily Echo column today, said the fact Saints are seventh in the Premiership after the 0-0 draw at Everton sums up what a "mediocre" top flight it is this season.

"People think the Premiership is a fabulous league, it's been hyped so much by Sky," explained Ball. "I saw that game yesterday and it was dross. Everton v Southampton was dross.

"I knew exactly how Southampton would play and they did, they played the same way they've played all season.

"Southampton at the moment are ordinary, they're hard to beat but they're predictable - yet they're in the top seven because the league is mediocre."

Ball, above, continued: "People say the Premiership is such a fantastic league, but here you have a one-dimensional team at the moment in the top six or seven. Nobody is scoring from midfield and they don't look good enough out wide to change games either.

"I'm sure Gordon Strachan knows what they need. He's been saying himself that they lack a bit of creativity - I've been saying that for a long time. It's not criticism for the sake of it, I'm being constructive. I would love to see Saints playing fantastic football and cutting teams open, but I'm not seeing that.

"I see a side who are well organised, hard to beat, who work hard for each other, but who at the moment are predictable - and they're in the top seven because it's an ordinary league."