Wednesday 19 August 2015 16:23, UK
Southampton manager Ronald Koeman believes significant changes to his defensive unit are the reason for his team's slow start to the Premier League season.
The Dutchman's side secured a creditable 2-2 draw with Newcastle on the opening day of the campaign but then lost their first home game 3-0 to Everton.
Koeman and his squad welcome FC Midtjylland – the Danish side Brentford owner Matthew Benham has invested in – to St Mary's on Thursday night in the Europa League qualifiers.
The match represents a chance for Southampton to fine-tune after they progressed 5-0 on aggregate against Vitesse Arnhem in the last round.
Koeman feels that is required as he continues to look for cohesion at the back following a second successive summer of upheaval at the club.
Southampton are currently without injured goalkeeper Fraser Forster and full-back Ryan Bertrand while Morgan Schneiderlin and Nathaniel Clyne have been sold.
Toby Alderweireld – a hit during his loan from Atletico Madrid last season – also chose a permanent switch to Tottenham over an extended stay on the south coast.
The lack of stability at the back has been a concern for Koeman, who said: "Expectation was different last season than for this season.
"I knew already maybe there was a problem because, if you talk about the defensive strengths of the Southampton team we had last season and a big part of keeping cleans, you are taking about certain positions - goalkeeper, four defenders and two controlling midfield players.
"Some asked me about Schneiderlin - he was just one of five different players (missing) in those positions last Saturday.
"It's normal that you will lose something - the new players need time in that position, the team needs time to develop and have the same strengths as last season.
"If you're missing five of the seven, that is one of the reasons we have already got five goals against us in two Premier League games.
"In Europe we showed our strengths in offence against Vitesse but tomorrow's game will be more difficult.
"You need really good organisation, we lost some qualities to that organisation but I believe in the new players. We need time and we need to develop and learn, we need training sessions."
Koeman is still looking for one more defender to add to his squad but dismissed questions about potential moves for Celtic's Virgil van Dijk and Kalidou Koulibaly of Napoli.
Instead, he is committed to ensuring Southampton qualify for the group stages of the Europa Leagu and is determined to take them past their Scandinavian opponents over the next week.
Koeman, who had continental success as a player when winning the European Cup with Barcelona in 1992 - added: "I see this as one of two games against Midtjylland to reach European football.
"That the main reason I don't pick the team with Sunday's game in mind is I pick the strongest team in the best system to make sure we have a good result tomorrow."
