Success in football is as much in the mind as the body.

As such, a lack of results do not necessarily equate to a lack of ability, rather a missing ingredient mentally.

Momentum is always hard to quantify in sport, and even tougher to capture, but is so vitally important.

Even in a team sport, when a few players are flying, they can pull everyone else along with them, and you feel invincible.

In reverse, you can feel powerless to stem the downward tide.

What is even more frightening is how quickly you can flit from one to the other.

This really encapsulates Saints’ season which, for the second time, stands at a crossroads.

Daily Echo:

Saido Berhaino celebrates his winning goal.

It is remarkable to look back over the results.

You see a rampant side full of confidence and belief getting off to a flying start before a total implosion in results in December.

Then they rallied once more, dragged themselves back up and went off on another run.

After victories over Manchetser United and Newcastle away from home, and without injured players, it looked as though this season would continue at a pace.

Now here we are in the midst of five games with just a single goal, and only one solitary win in six games in all competitions.

To say that is a season of contrasts is an understatement.

Last time Saints were staring down the barrel, Ronald Koeman changed things up. He went with three centre halves against Everton at St Mary’s and it produced a fantastic 3-0 win that kick-started Saints again.

Recognising that his side were teetering on the verge of throwing away much of the good work they have done this season in terms of league position, he tried the same at West Brom, but it failed.

It showed the fine lines in management.

While he was hailed after that Everton switch, he came in for what is really a first batch of criticism following the defeat at The Hawthorns.

It is one thing to go to a back three when you have Toby Alderweireld and his class as your spare man. The way he plays out from the back adds another dimension.

With all due respect, it is a little different to attempt the same when you are, in effect, calling into the side Florin Gardos in place of one of Eljero Elia, Steven Davis, Shane Long and the like.

To be fair to Koeman, he couldn’t legislate against his side conceding a very early goal for the second week in a row, which undoubtedly changed things.

Saints’ problem goes beyond that, though, beyond formations and tactics too. It comes down to the fact they lack so much confidence and belief, that they look as though they don’t believe.

Graziano Pelle typifies this. For the first time, at the weekend, he looked as though he really needed a break.

Up until now, despite a lack of goals, he has contributed much to the all-round performance of his team. In this game, he just looked as if he needed to be taken out of the firing line.

Daily Echo:

A forlorn Graziano Pelle at the Hawthorns.

Add to that a plethora of players around him who cannot find top form and it is a tricky scenario.

One thing Koeman may consider is that Saints have had their best spells this season when Davis has played a more advanced central midfield role, or Sadio Mane has played off of the shoulder of Pelle.

The Mane and Elia wing combination has worked only in fits and starts and has also coincided with less attacking contributions from the full backs.

If Saints needed a confidence boosting start at The Hawthorns they got exactly the opposite, as they conceded after little more than a minute.

Chris Brunt’s looping diagonal free kick from the halfway line was won in the air by Maya Yoshida from Craig Dawson, but he could only head back to the edge of the area, where Saido Berahino was waiting in a central position.

The young striker produced a superb half volley, which rocketed into the top corner, leaving Fraser Forster with no chance.

Things got little better for Saints as they struggled to get grips with the new formation.

It almost got worse as Forster saved from Dawson’s header before Koeman took action on 24 minutes, brought off Gardos and changed formation.

It at least stemmed the tide, but it was never going to be easy.

With a notoriously tough-to-crack defence, West Brom sat very deep, allowed Saints the ball and were hard to break down. That would have been the case for any side, let alone one so hollow in belief.

Mane fired a couple of half chances over the bar, while Morgan Schneiderlin threatened with two free-kicks, but the two good chances Saints created fell to Pelle.

The first was a golden opportunity, the sort you dream of if you just need a goal.

Ryan Bertrand provided a much-needed overlap down the left, got to the by-line and cut it back into the six-yard box.

It was on a plate for Pelle to divert home just a couple of yards out, but he conspired to somehow miss the ball entirely. The look on his face said it all.

Later in the second half he had a tougher chance, trying to hit a looping pass first time on the volley. It was again relatively close range, but, under pressure, he scuffed it harmlessly to Ben Foster.

Darren Fletcher and Elia both flashed efforts off target before the result was confirmed.

Saints need to get something going against Crystal Palace tomorrow night to prevent this season just dribbling to a conclusion.

Palace are plenty beatable, especially at St Mary’s. This is a good time to have this fixture.

Koeman just needs to find that magic formula to kick start his team again.

It is in the mind rather than the bodies that the problem lies.