RELIABLE trio Oriol Romeu, Maya Yoshida and Steven Davis all watched on helpless as Saints produced shameful displays at Newcastle and West Ham – but could now be vital in the club’s relegation scrap.

That small contingent of players have previously been integral but have fallen out of favour partly due to injury and partly because of selection.

Mark Hughes mostly packed his side with Saints’ more expensive names at West Ham, a decision which backfired horrendously as the Hammers ran out 3-0 winners.

It followed another three-goal defeat at Newcastle in Mauricio Pellegrino's final game in charge, in which, again, these three players were left out.

Hughes admitted himself the pathetic display at the London Stadium was a steep learning curve for him and it is likely now the former Stoke manager will cull some of the poorer performers.

None of Saints’ players covered themselves in glory at the Hammers, but Mario Lemina especially had a shocker, giving away the ball with an errant pass for the opening goal on 13 minutes.

Wesley Hoedt, Cedric Soares and Manolo Gabbiadini all struggled too with Saints collectively inept.

Hughes said his learning experience at West Ham “will shape my thinking leading into the next game” and that will no doubt mean changes to his team at Arsenal on Sunday.

With now just seven games for the Welshman to save Saints from the drop, he can turn to Romeu, Yoshida and Davis for, not only fight, but experience.

Granted, none of these players have performed particularly well this season, but Hughes knows his options are limited and it’s not like any other players are pulling their weight right now.

Saints need leaders.

Northern Ireland captain Davis is one of those leaders in the dressing room and, while he’s not a pin-you-up-against-the-wall-and-shout-in-your-face kind of guy, he leads by example.

The 33-year-old central midfielder has been in relegation scraps before, notably at Fulham in 2007/08, when the Cottagers survived on goal difference alone in the Premier League.

That kind of experience cannot be underestimated at this time and Davis, who is the club captain, has heaps of it, having made more than 300 top-flight appearances.

The former Aston Villa and Rangers man was out of action for five matches with hamstring injury but, despite regaining fitness for the West Ham game, was completely overlooked by Hughes.

It would be difficult to ignore him as an option now, especially with Lemina and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg struggling to form a partnership in central midfield.

Yoshida has also captained Saints and has proved himself to be one of the most reliable options the club has at centre-back over the past year.

The 29-year-old helped Jack Stephens bed into the backline last season and the two formed a decent partnership in trying circumstances.

It might be time to renew their relationship, especially with fellow centre-back Hoedt currently struggling for form.

Yoshida has had a knee problem recently – missing four games in February and March – and was on the bench at West Ham without coming on, as he was at Wigan in the FA Cup quarter-final.

The Japan international has been involved in survival battles before, with Dutch side VVV-Venlo.

In Yoshida’s two seasons in the Netherlands, Venlo twice avoided the drop through the Eredivisie’s relegation play-off system, having finished second and third bottom.

Coincidence or not, in the first campaign after Yoshida’s £3m move to Saints, Venlo were relegated to the second tier of Dutch football, only returning to the Eredivisie this term.

Romeu was Saints’ Player of the Season in 2016/17 . He was brilliant and consistent throughout an up and down campaign under Claude Puel.

However, he has lost his way a bit this season and that has left him on the bench in the last three games, with Hughes preferring Hojbjerg and Lemina.

The 26-year-old has the capacity to be one of the best screening midfielders in the Premier League.

Puel managed to get the best out of him last term, but Mauricio Pellegrino was unable to keep the Spaniard playing to his previous levels before his departure last month.

If Hughes can revitalise Romeu, he will shore up a defence that has leaked six goals in the last two games in the top-flight.