JAN Poortvliet has urged his side to take points from games in which they play poorly – they might be better starting off with ones they should win.

Saints are really struggling at the moment and it’s a catalogue of individual errors that is costing them every time.

The statistics speak for themselves – five points out of 18 at St Mary’s this season and just 11 points from 11 games.

When you look at the fixture list there is little respite with the next 11 fixtures far harder than the ones they’ve already played.

Trying to pinpoint problem areas when there are so many errors is hard to do and not a particularly productive use of time.

The last thing any footballer needs is to have their face rubbed in the dirt. If you’re out there and have made a mistake, you know it.

But there are some pretty fundamental things going wrong.

If you were setting up a class for Championship teams, lesson one would be defending setpieces.

Saints are consistently poor at doing this. Against Watford they were truly woeful.

Attacking set-pieces would probably be day two – two more missed penalties suggest they need more work as well.

These might be individual errors but if they happen consistently then Poortvliet needs to find out why.

It’s either inexperience, because the players aren’t mentally strong enough, or they’re not properly prepared.

Whatever answer is reached, it needs to be rectified.

Most people who go to St Mary’s want Poortvliet to succeed.

They like him and the idea of the youngsters going out playing good football.

But it also needs to be winning football and that means compromise.

There needs to be a compromise between attractive football and effective Championship stuff. There needs to be a compromise between youth and experience.

Maybe these young players will come through it very quickly and will be stronger for it.

We hope so.

But maybe they need a few of the old heads that have been there and done it back in to help them – there are a few at the club, most of whom are being richly paid for doing nothing at the moment.

What is so frustrating is you can see it there – these wins are within touching distance.

That’s why winning games in which they play badly isn’t the number one concern.

Saints are far more often guilty of squandering matches they should have won.

Watford was a prime example.

They were a poor team, make no mistake.

Watford looked short on confidence and were there for the taking and Saints, at home, had the chances to do just that.

After just three minutes Saints were awarded a penalty when Richard Lee was adjudged to have brought down David McGoldrick in the area.

The keeper got a yellow card thanks to having other defenders around and got back between the sticks to make a comfortable save from McGoldrick’s weak spot kick.

Saints really squeezed on the pressure and Ryan Smith and McGoldrick missed half chances before Watford got a goal out of nothing.

It was a right wing corner played short and whipped in, Saints made a total mess of it at the far post and Tamas Priskin made no mistake in lashing home a half volley.

Incredibly Saints got another penalty on 19 minutes, this time Smith being pushed over.

Paul Wotton stepped up for this one and drilled the ball low and hard only to see Lee save again, this time with his legs.

On the half hour mark it was a re-run as Watford made it 2-0.

It was another corner from the right, Darren Ward won the first header which hit the underside of the bar and, after Saints failed to clear, John Eustace was credited with heading home, though it may have been an own goal.

McGoldrick got through one-onone with Lee seven minutes later but failed to even hit the target.

Guess what happened next?

No it wasn’t a right wing corner that led to a Watford goal. It was a right wing free-kick.

Again it was a lesson in how not to defend, Priskin the beneficiary with a sharp backheel.

At half-time Saints had had two penalties, another golden opportunity and a few presentable half chances. Watford had managed to win three set-pieces. The score?

3-0.

The second half was predictably a non-event.

Watford showed their experience by shutting up shop. They knew they didn’t have to score another goal so sat deep, got men in front of the ball and defended.

Adam Lallana tested Lee but as Saints tried to push on it was Watford who looked the more dangerous on the break.

Davis made good saves from Priskin and Liam Henderson while Priskin had another chance he inexplicably fired wide from close range.

If you take away the individual errors it wasn’t an awful performance, but chuck them in and you have another poor result and that has to change – fast.