Ronald Koeman refused to use his fitness struggles as an excuse for Saints’ disappointing 3-0 defeat to Everton.

The Saints boss remains on crutches with a plaster cast on his right leg after the Achilles operation that meant he had to watch the Premier League opener against Newcastle from his home in Holland.

He was back on duty for the game against the Toffees at St Mary’s, but was forced to sit in the dugout throughout rather than have his usual presence in the technical area overseeing the side.

However, he didn’t feel that had an impact.

“I think that’s an easy excuse to everybody,” he said.

“Ok, I can’t be on the line but Erwin is doing that kind of information.

“I know I can’t be like before,not at this moment in the training sessions, but I speak to the players and we planned everything what we did last year.

“We need time and to be patient.”

The defeat for Saints was their heaviest at St Mary’s since Manchester City won by the same scoreline in November 2014, and it didn’t please Koeman.

“The worst result yes,” he admitted.

“Of course the first home game you expect a different game, a different final result, but we didn’t show our level.

“Maybe we had to make too many changes defensively maybe.

“I don’t like to bring excuses on the table but a little bit unlucky in defensively players and we have to change and the whole team wasn’t enough aggressive, not so compact.

“Normally we can do and ok we have to improve that quality because that was one of the qualities last year.

“Maybe we need more time to do that but today that was not good.”

He added: “I’m not angry.

“Of course in some details you are angry about the set-pieces, the organisation, but it’s not normal because it’s the start of the season.

“We know we can’t compare to last season, we have some new players and we have to develop ourselves.

“In a tough programme we like that and the next game is on Thursday and we have to prepare everybody in the best way for the next game at home.”

Saints now prepare for a Europa League tie against Midjtylland on Thursday night before a trip to Watford on Sunday.

“We know it’s a new season and everybody starts at zero,” reflected Koeman.

“You don’t get points about your performance of last season.

“You have to bring it now and everybody has to bring their level and his qualities.

“Maybe to be a compact team, to be an aggressive team, we have to improve more than we showed today in the first half.”