Saints grind out draw with Boro

Gordon Strachan employed a psychological tactic that he picked up as a Manchester United player to bring the best out of striker Marian Pahars and his Southampton team-mates. Pahars was not expected to play in the 0-0 draw with Middlesbrough as he was still recovering from a hernia operation.

But Strachan shocked Saints' top scorer last season by selecting him just before kickoff at St Mary's - and the Latvian nearly won the game with his attacking forays. Strachan said: 'I did to Pahars what Ron Atkinson once did to me when he was my manager at Old Trafford.

'He tossed me into a big match when I'd done just two days' training following a hernia operation and it was the same with Marian. In fact his wee jaw dropped when I told him at a quarter-to-two he was in the team. 'But he made the other players feel better and I'm sure it caused some anxiety in the Middlesbrough dressing room.

'On a good day if he'd been a little bit fitter he might have taken advantage of a couple of chances - it nearly paid off. It was just Big Ron kidology.'

While Pahars was a constant threat to Boro's defensive security until he faded and was replaced by Jo Tessem in the 59th minute, his Boro counterpart Massimo Maccerone had a disappointing afternoon. Much was expected of Boro's Italian striker, who was signed for £8.15million from Empoli. But he was frustrated by a Paul Williams-inspired Southampton defence and quick-thinking goalkeeper Paul Jones and walked off moodily in the 75th minute to be replaced by Alen Boksic. Strachan, delighted by his team's performance, put the youngster's problems into perspective.

He said: 'If you ask me who would win a match involving Arsenal and Italy I would say Arsenal - that's the kind of level we're playing at in the Premiership. 'This is the best league in the world along with the Spanish league and Premiership players are stepping down a level in most international games they play in.'

Once Boro settled into their rhythm they pleased their fans with some well-worked passing but lacked penetration and it needed the guile and cool thinking of defensive duo Ugo Ehiogu and Gareth Southgate to rebuff a Southampton side showing superior enterprise.