SAINTS will find it very tough to solve their goal scoring problems when the strikers are seemingly never picked on merit.

It seems only the order of Claude Puel’s rotation system dictates whether Jay Rodriguez and Shane Long are playing for Saints.

And that must be hugely frustrating for attackers who deal in the momentum and confidence-based business of scoring goals.

The Premier League’s all-time top goal-scorer Alan Shearer told the Daily Echo last season during Graziano Pelle’s dry run that he should: “keep going, it will change... the goals will eventually come back.”

But how can Long and Rodriguez “keep going” when they are constantly in and out of the team, even when they find form?

Between them they have scored a miserly five goals in almost 20 hours of league football in 2016/17, but they are the club’s best goal-threats during Charlie Austin’s absence.

While some blame should be placed on their shoulders for the lack of goals, there is an argument that it isn’t really their fault.

Rodriguez has started consecutive games on just one occasion this season, and that was with a ten-day break in between.

The former Burnley man struck twice against AFC Bournemouth, waited ten days over Christmas and started in the defeat to Tottenham.

He failed to score and was benched.

Long has started more than one game in a row on only two occasions this season, but that was in the opening months of the campaign.

Last season’s Supporters’ Player of the Season had to wait until New Year’s Eve for his first goal of the season, finally making that breakthrough against West Brom.

But he was instantly dropped in the following game at Everton two days later.

How can a striker, who is already short on confidence, build any momentum when they score a goal, but are always dropped afterwards?

That cannot help their mentality.

Long looked overjoyed with scoring his first goal of a frustrating campaign, and would have been forgiven for thinking that perhaps this was the beginning of a fruitful run.

But then comes the rotation.

Long regularly cuts a frustrated figure on the pitch this season, and who could blame him.

It must be highly demoralising finally making a breakthrough, but then the only acknowledgement he receives is to be benched.

It’s the same for Rodriguez.

He may not have scored against Liverpool, but he made Nathan Redmond’s goal, with a nice pass through and looked generally sharp.

But then he’s dropped at Burnley.

There must be nothing more frustrating.

It makes it very difficult for the player and the team as a whole to build any momentum.

Relationships will surely flourish given a solid run of games.

Rodriguez and Long offer something very different to the team, but are often rotated.

That means Saints must approach their attacks in different ways, depending on which of them is playing.

That must be confusing when it’s always one or the other.

It can’t be good for relationships and the development of momentum when strikers are chopped and changed incessantly.

If Saints are to stop the rot and get out of poor form in the Premier League, then regularity within the starting 11, to build momentum, is surely key.

It’s then important for Long or Rodriguez to be given a clear run and, as Shearer says, “the goals will eventually come back.”

Puel likes to keep his side fresh by tinkering, but when confidence is low, surely doing anything he can do to build playing relationships between the squad has to go before anything else.

The St Mary’s chief says his focus is on the current squad and not on buying a new striker in the January transfer window.

But if he wants to get the best from Long and Rodriguez, he needs to start making selections on merit.