Former Saints manager Graeme Souness believes that European football does not represent progress for Ronald Koeman's side and that the club will “take their eye off the bigger picture” when they play in the Europa League next term.

Souness, who managed Saints in 1996/97, won the European Cup on three occasions at Liverpool during a glittering playing career and he is all too aware of the distractions of a continental campaign.

The Scot experienced firsthand how demoralising it can be battling for form in the Premier League while having to travel to Europe midweek during his time as Blackburn Rovers head.

The ex-Liverpool, Rangers and Newcastle boss, who also had spells abroad in charge of Benfica, Galatasaray and Torino, has stated in the past that he believes the Europa League is a "very poor second" to the Champions League.

In his eyes there's nothing positive about Saints' recent qualification that will see them go into the two-legged third qualifying round and, if successful in that, play in a further two-match play-off to reach the group stages.

“I think that it might be a problem,” Souness said. “I got heavily criticised when I was manager at Blackburn for saying playing on a Thursday night in Europe is not ideal.

“Thursday nights is a night for taking your wife out for dinner.

“I got criticised for it, but I think I’ve been proved right.

“You’re playing catch up when you come back, you’re playing on a Sunday all the time.

“The pressure’s on you if the teams around you have won on the Saturday.

“You’re playing on the Sunday and you are under pressure.

“I don’t like it at all and that will, unfortunately, impact of Southampton next season.

“It’s guaranteed to do that. You look at Everton this year. Any team that’s involved in that Europa League, it has an impact on the league performance."

Souness hailed what Koeman achieved last season, having rebuilt the team after a summer exodus, before storming to a Premier League best seventh-place finish.

But the 62-year-old confessed that next term will be very different at St Mary's.

“For me it’s a no no,” he said. “You end up going to some pretty obscure places.

“You’re getting back late on a Thursday night or Friday morning preparing for a game on the Sunday.

“Southampton could be going up to Newcastle or Sunderland on a Sunday having got back early hours on a Thursday morning from somewhere in Eastern Europe.

“Your eyes are taken off the bigger picture.

“The bigger picture for clubs like Southampton is maintaining your Premier League status.

“That’s how the club moves forward.

“The money’s not that great in the Europa League, there’s a carrot if you win it – getting into the Champions League – but only one team can win it every year.

“There will be some pretty good teams in there too.”