RONALD Koeman has admitted that Shane Long has become indispensable for Saints – but Sadio Mane is struggling to find form.

Long is now joint nine-goal top-scorer with Graziano Pelle after scoring in the 1-0 win at Swansea, which was his 50th Premier League appearance for the club.

The Irishman had to be patient for his chance, but since breaking into the team has been a permanent and influential member of the Saints team through their recent hot streak of five wins in six games.

“I think he deserves to start because he’s working hard,” said Koeman. “He’s complaining defenders. He’s always on the move. He’s always running. He’s very dangerous.

“That’s the reason every time I start with Shane. Okay, with the signing of Charlie we have big competition. Today, I had Charlie, I had Tadic, Mane on the bench.

“But that’s what we really like to have because a strong squad makes progress and makes competition. Even if the decisions that I have to make are very difficult.”

He added: “Every player needs to give the best of himself. For that he needs competition. That’s normal and we like to have this competition because this makes the team really strong.”

On the other hand, Koeman made the decision to leave out-of-form Mane, who hasn’t scored since early December, on the bench.

“We play a little bit different at the moment,” Koeman explained. “We don’t play with three in front. We play with two strikers.

“That’s one why he (Mane) did not start today and in the last few weeks he was a little bit struggling.

“A little bit struggling in his performances. He was working hard, but really what he can do and what he can show for the team was not like that.”

On a very strong bench, Saints had Dusan Tadic, Mane and Charlie Austin.

Koeman admitted that Austin needs to bide his time to get a start, with Long and Graziano Pelle starting ahead of him in the last two games.

“It’s all about opportunities. At the moment he is not starting, but that can change in one or two week,” the boss said about Austin.

“It’s all about what we decide to put the most strongest line up for every game."