Is it fair to label Saints 'dull' away from home after their last two trips to Watford and West Bromwich both ended in sterile draws?

Although they extended their winless run on the road to ten games with a stalemate at West Brom, there were signs suggesting Ronald Koeman isn’t just travelling away to park the bus.

It certainly seemed that way prior to the Baggies match when Saints went to Vicarage Road and also drew 0-0 with Watford last month.

At the Hornets, Saints set-up with five at the back – three centre-back and two wing-backs.

Maya Yoshida, Steven Caulker and Jose Fonte were the three central defenders while Cedric Soares and Matt Targett flanked them.

In all fairness, the system worked.

It served its purpose for that day and where the club were at that point in time – bearing in mind they had just lost 3-0 at home to Everton.

The Watford stalemate was far from pretty and, considering football should be about entertainment, it made for a boring game to watch.

Watford didn’t have a shot on target and chances at the other end were severely limited because of Saints’ numbers at the back.

Targett and Soares, who had license to get forward, were barely effective in their roles down either side.

You can see why Koeman deployed that formation, though.

Saints’ confidence was hanging by a thread – they’d conceded five goals in two Premier League games.

This game came after a 3-0 whopping by Everton at St Mary’s and their fate in the Europa League was in the balance too.

Oriol Romeu on the ball during the 0-0 bore draw at Vicarage Road

That game was all about coming away with something and continuing to gel the team together.

It was very unlike Saints to behave like that, but it had to be done.

It was a distance away from the attacking football on the road that had Saints supporters have been accustomed to over the past two seasons.

However, it was done to try and steady a rocking ship and find that defensive resilience that Saints had in bucket-loads last term.

Although Saints followed up the sterile show at Watford by crashing out of the Europa League, they defeated Norwich 3-0 to give them a great foundation to build on after the international break.

It was different at West Brom.

There was every intention go out and get victory, but it just didn’t happen.

Tony Pulis sides are notoriously hard to break down, and the hosts set out to be strong in defence after conceding three goals in home losses to Manchester City and Chelsea previously this season.

Pulis’ tactics were designed to be tight at the back first and foremost.

That is why, although Saints had much of the pressure in the second period, they struggled to create chances.

Unlike at Watford, Saints played with a flat back four – Virgil van Dijk impressing on his debut – while Victor Wanyama was a sole defensive midfielder.

That meant that there were four attacking midfielders behind sole striker Graziano Pelle.

There was Jay Rodriguez and Dusan Tadic providing width, with James Ward-Prowse and Steven Davis in the centre.

It was an attacking formation fielded in a bid to win.

Koeman knows Saints cannot keep on picking up solitary points away, he said as much in the aftermath of Saturday’s dour spectacle.

The manager’s system may have failed in its design, but the intention was there to go out and attack.

That is why Saints supporters should rest easy knowing that not every away game will be a goalless bore.

What do you think of Koeman’s tactics in Saints’ recent away league games? Comment online at dailyecho.co.uk