As Premier League football heads into an all too early international break, Saints need to reflect on a reasonable start to the season and take the positives.

There is a sense that maybe a collective lack of confidence and belief, around the club in general from the fans through to the players, is having a negative impact.

Certainly it may be clouding judgement and clear thought about where Saints are and how they must progress.

For example, Saints secured a solid point at Huddersfield. It wasn’t easy, they had chances to win it, and in the first half they could have lost it. But any point away from home in the top flight is acceptable.

Yet after the game you would have thought Saints would have been steamrollered with the comments of a few of the players and the frustration of some fans.

Putting things in perspective, and leaving the Wolves defeat in the League Cup aside and writing it off as a temporary aberration, it is three games unbeaten in the Premier League to kick-off Mauricio Pellegrino’s first campaign in charge at St Mary’s.

The team are still very much a work in progress but there are signs of gradual improvement, while the manager himself is also seeming to be getting to grips with things.

There was a case to be made that he could have been a little more proactive in terms of helping his team with tactical and personnel changes in both the win over West Ham and the loss to Wolves.

However, he proved his ability to make some significant decisions at Huddersfield.

Saints spent the majority of the first half under the pump against a buoyant side. Pellegrino switched things around at the break, and then a couple more as the second half progressed, and his side took control and came so close to winning it.

There is still much to be done, and the manager is all too aware of that, but he can start to see his vision taking shape. The players are slowly beginning to adapt.

Pellegrino has always cautioned that it will take time. He has admitted that he doesn’t want to try and change too much, too soon - keep that thought in perspective.

But he also realises he works in an environment where time is a precious commodity, and one not afforded to too many people.

He is, therefore, having to strike a balance between introducing new ideas and trying to do what is required to get results at the same time.

It’s not easy, and particularly given he didn’t have his full squad to work with for the vast majority of pre-season.

Clearly goalscoring remains a problem. As we have said for a long time, Pellegrino doesn’t really have improved attacking options from those which Claude Puel struggled to get goals out of. A new manager cannot wave a magic wand and suddenly change all of that.

Nor too can he just turn on its head a deep seated lack of collective confidence in the final third, if that does even exist.

But, on the whole, it has been a solid if not spectacular start to the season, and with most people predicting Saints for a midtable type of year, it is right on track.

It’s not exciting, but that’s the way it is.

Their last opponents before the fortnight off, Huddersfield, are a club on the kind of roll that Saints once were. And perhaps this is part of the problem.

Huddersfield have come up after a great year in the Championship and are riding the crest of a wave of enthusiasm, excitement and adrenaline in the Premier League.

Saints have been there very recently. They cruised through League One, made it straight up out of the Championship, were battling to survive in the Premier League, and then improving year after year with exciting football under Mauricio Pochettino and European qualification courtesy of Ronald Koeman, Saints have had that upward feeling for a long time, but that could never continue without masses of money, as the next step is the top six regularly.

That is perhaps why Saints feel flat. They have hit the glass ceiling, and when you have had the thrill of progress, just fighting hard to stand still – an achievement in itself at this level – just doesn’t bring the same feelings of joy everybody loves from sport.

Saints could have beaten Huddersfield had they taken an opening chance after 11 minutes as Steven Davis played Nathan Redmond in with just the keeper to beat but he opened up his body and fired across goal and wide.

They spent the majority of the rest of the first half on the back foot as Huddersfield’s enthusiasm in a raucous atmosphere was a little overwhelming.

Huddersfield pressed so hard, hunted in packs, and kept knocking on the door.

Fraser Forster was forced into a few saves, while there was some brave but desperate last gasp Saints defending, and a few poor finishes, to keep the score level.

Pellegrino switched things around at half time, dropping Oriol Romeu deeper and playing Davis and Mario Lemina ahead in a two, and it helped disrupt the considerable influence of Arron Mooy and gave Saints a strong foothold.

They almost got the win in stoppage time, too, as Ryan Bertrand arrived at the far post to meet Shane Long’s cross with a well-directed header, only for Tommy Smith to appear on the line to hack it clear.

With a couple of weeks to clear heads and then refocus minds once the transfer window shuts, it is worth trying to find the positives as well as reflect on what needs to be improved.