Saints weren’t partying after ten games, and won’t cry if Monday’s match against Manchester United makes it four without a win.

That’s the message from Ronald Koeman on the back of defeats to Manchester City and Arsenal, as he starts to get asked whether the Saints bubble has burst.

The Saints manager very much believes that is not the case and insists he and side focus on their performances rather than get carried with results, whether they be good or bad.

“We have a strong team, we have good players, but in football you have always influence out of players, out of teams, and that can be different for the expectation,” said Koeman.

“We understand to have injuries is a part in football but to have the most injuries in the midfield players is difficult. That makes it more difficult.

“It’s 38 games and I wasn’t celebrating a party after ten games, I will not be crying after four games if we don’t win because I believe to plan the whole season and not three games or four games. It’s a plan of the whole season.

“We know after the good start it’s a tough period now, a lot of games, we have to play Sheffield United League Cup. It’s difficult.

“We have this season 17 players out for international duty and I don’t know how much it was last season.

“That can all be influence in the team.”

Koeman was not hesitant in slapping down talk of a bubble bursting.

He knows Saints are punching above their normal station at this point in time, and that any dip is hardly the end of the season.

“I will ask for what they expect of Southampton and what they did expect in the beginning of the season, and that’s football because football is today up and tomorrow down,” insisted Koeman.

“That’s not true.

“I don’t think in losing games. I always think positive, I am always thinking about our way of playing.

“OK, it is now two times that we lose but we lost against City and Arsenal and maybe that’s usual but what happens after I don’t know.

“We keep going because we know our qualities and one time again our way of playing makes winning games.

“I don’t have doubts about that.”

Koeman said Saints go into Monday night’s game against United at St Mary’s without fear, despite their consecutive losses.

“We know what we are doing and we had a lot of good positive attention about our way of playing, about our results and that’s OK, that’s enough, we know what we are doing and we have to keep that,” he reckoned.

“We don’t have influence on things out of the pitch.”