SAINTS boss Glenn Hoddle has one of the smallest strike forces in the Premiership but maintains he's happy with his lot.

This is despite Saints losing valuable points this season due to a lack of a cutting edge.

According to Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier, you can't have enough strikers, four being an abso-lute minimum for the Premiership.

Saints number just James Beattie, Marian Pahars and Uwe Rosler as out and out strikers and they have scored just once in their last three games - and that was from the spot against Sheffield United.

Hoddle maintains his side continue to carve out plenty of chances and, in yesterday's Echo, said that somebody will cop a beating from Saints soon.

But Hoddle also admitted: "If we had a real cutting edge to our games this season, we would be in the top six or seven now. That is what has been holding us back."

Following their second successive goalless draw, with Spurs at White Hart Lane on Saturday, Hoddle said: "The chances we missed were down to poor finishing rather than good goalkeeping."

Beattie went through a purple patch of ten goals in a many games but hasn't found the going easy since his last goal, the winner against Derby on December 30, while the man who is ostensibly his strike partner, Marian Pahars, has failed to notch since September 30.

Rosler has yet to start a Premie-rship match and has one reserve goal to his credit in three outings.

Between them, Beattie and Pahars have scored 16 of Saints' 28 Premiership goals this season.

The next highest league scorer is Jo Tessem with three, which confirms that the midfield doesn't exactly weigh in with a heavy contribution of goals.

So when the goals dry up, it would appear Saints don't have too many options. The likes of Kevin Davies can play up front, and young Aussie-Argie Adrian Caceres has been warming the bench.

All strikers go through thin patches. The important things is how clubs cope with them.

What Hoddle doesn't have is competition for places, other strikers lurking on the bench, aching for a chance and putting pressure on those in possession of places.

At Liverpool, there could hardly be a better incentive for Emile Heskey and Jari Litmanen than the sight of Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler sulking in their tracksuits.

Manchester United boss Sir Alex can pick-'n'-mix between Teddy Sheringham, Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole and Ole Gunnar Solksjaer but, even at most other clubs, managers have leeway.

For all his bleating about lack of punch, Villa boss John Gregory now has Juan Pablo Angel to add to a strike force which already included Dion Dublin, Darius Vassel and Julian Joachim, not to mention David Ginola and Paul Merson, who can operate up front if needed.

Injuries also dictate how many strikers a club can carry.

Charlton have a roster of six recognised hitmen, but at least four of them are sidelined.

Of course, quality is more important than quantity and, although Manchester City have six strikers to pick from, they've only managed the same Premiership goal haul as Saints.

For all their potency and the recruitment of Robbie Keane from Inter, Leeds have only managed one more goal than Saints in two fewer games - and four of those came in one game from Mark Viduka.

Only Chelsea have fewer recognised first-team strikers than Saints, although Gus Poyet does weigh in with a big chunk of goals from midfield.

But this doesn't concern Hoddle, who says: "I think our cover in the striking department is adequate.

"We've got players who can play up front as well as in midfield, guys like Kevin Davies - even Matt Le Tissier has played up front before.

"We don't have the resources of a club like Liverpool and we couldn't carry the number of strikers that they have got.

"Obviously if we had a couple of injuries, then I would have to think about moving into the market.

"But at the moment I'm happy with what I've got."