SAINTS’ have a stronger squad than the newly crowned Premier League champions Leicester - but they must find some consistency to pull-off a similar feat.

The Foxes have been crowned the most remarkable top flight winners in English football history with two games still to play.

But former Saints striker Gordon Watson – who helped scout the likes of Jamie Vardy and Danny Drinkwater for Leicester – insists Ronald Koeman’s team could have been in a similar position.

Watson, a part of ex-Saints boss Nigel Pearson’s backroom team at Leicester between 2008-2011, admits he would struggle to name many Leicester title winners in his composite Foxes-Saints XI.

That is despite Leicester having won a sensational title - the biggest upset in English sporting history - and Saints being 22 points behind and in a race for the Europa League positions.

“It has been a wasted opportunity for Southampton and a lot of other teams,” said Watson.

“Man for man, I would still say Saints have a stronger squad in depth than Leicester.

“But Leicester have not let their intensity drop for a single minute in any game.

“Saints have had some sloppy moments where they have let their intensity drop.

“Losing 3-0 at home to Everton, only drawing at home to Villa …

“There is not much difference at all between Sadio Mane and Riyad Mahrez, or Dusan Tadic and Mahrez – apart from consistency.

“You have not been able to say this season that you will know what kind of performance you will get from Mane or Tadic.

“That is the difference – consistency.

“There are a lot of like-for-like players in the Saints and Leicester teams.

“The keepers are very similar, Van Dijk and Fonte are as good if not better than Huth and Morgan. I would take Ryan Bertrand over Leicester’s left back.

“I would take Wanyama over any Leicester midfielder.

“Up front you would probably have Long and Vardy – they are similar players but you would say Vardy is a bit more direct.

“You could say that Southampton team that finished eighth under Pochettino two years ago was stronger man for man than this Leicester team.

“But Leicester have Nigel Pearson’s DNA running throughout their team - a never-say-die spirit, a total desire to win, never to give up.

“The Saints players should be looking at themselves thinking ‘this is a wasted opportunity for us’.

“That desire has to come from the players. Ronald Koeman doesn’t tell the players before a game ‘let’s take it easy today?’ does he?

“There’s not a lot wrong with the Southampton team. They have made progress from last season.

“Perhaps if they can start next season well it could be Southampton who have the momentum, who have the belief.

“As Leicester have showed, if you have momentum, if you have belief, anything is possible.

“Thanks to Leicester, everyone can dream now, can’t they?”

Watson admits Leicester have been fortunate with regards to injuries and consistency of team selection.

Boss Claudio Ranieri has only used 23 players in league action – including ex-Saint Nathan Dyer – and 11 players have started 28 or more Premier League matches.

Koeman has only used 26 players but, crucially, only five have started 28 or more games.

They are Jose Fonte, Virgil Van Dijk, Ryan Bertrand, Steven Davis and Sadio Mane.

Though his good friend Pearson signed virtually all the players that have inked Leicester’s name into sporting folklore, Watson was also quick to praise Ranieri.

“Ranieri is known as the ‘Tinkerman’ but here he hasn’t tinkered at all,” he explained.

“The players he has used are the ones Nigel signed, the backroom staff are the same Nigel had, the training regime is the same Nigel had.

“He has changed virtually nothing.

“Don’t forget, in the last couple of months of last season Leicester were the team that picked up the most points.”