DAN Harding believes Saints should not lose hope on automatic promotion back to the Premier League, but challenged players to be "a bit stronger".

Harding, who won back-to-back promotions from League One into the Premier League at Saints, sympathised with the hangover from last year's brutal relegation.

However, the 41 year old insisted players have to rise above that hurt when they play for a club like Saints, where the expectation is to win every game in the Championship.

Southampton currently sit 17th in the second tier with 11 points from their first nine games, but are just four points adrift of the play-off spots.

“Without a doubt, I can see why that would be the case, and you can use that as an excuse,” he told BBC Radio Solent.

Will Still has earned 11 points from nine Championship games at Saints.(Image: Peter Tarry/PA)

READ: Analysing Southampton’s next six games - how many points can they win?

“But I think that once you go into a club the size of Southampton, with the expectations that are there, you...