George Burley has been chopping and changing of late, partly through injuries, partly to try and regain a winning formation and team, but little has been working. Saints have been starting slowly, struggling to retain our shape and guilty of wasting the final ball after pretty approach play.
While Belmadi's absence has robbed us of a good deal of quality on the ball, we have to remember that the Algerian wizard has been missing for much of the season. A much larger concern is Burley's insistence on putting square pegs into round holes.
Take yesterday's performance. A centre midfielder at right back out of position and watching the ball sailing over his head for the Colchester opener. This when we have a natural right back available who has been our player of the season so far despite playing out of position at centre back.
With Claus Lundekvam back, despite Chris Baird's red hot form in central defence, we can solve the right back dilemma by bringing back the talented Pele and shifting Baird across.
Despite some talented ball players in Dyer, Idiakez, Skacel and Surman, Saints are lightweight in midfield, with only Viafara the kind of up 'em and at 'em ball winning that we need against typical Championship sides. Playing Viafara at right midfield to try and accommodate Licka and Idiakez in previous games was never going to be the answer.
This lack of balance leaves Saints exposed to quick starting and physical teams and is starting to tell as the confidence of our ball players wanes with the run of defeats.
Instead, if Burley must play Wright, and clearly he sees him as a needed leader on the field, then play him in central midfield and sacrifice one of our more creative midfielders at least to start games.
To be honest the player that would partially address some of the problems would be a fit again Prutton on the right of midfield. He is motivated, passionate and is the kind of all rounder that we are lacking.
He would allow Idiakez more time on the ball and provide valuable support for the over-worked Viafara in the centre. Hopefully Saints would also channel more of the play through the talented but underused Skacel.
Come the transfer window it will be interesting to see if Prutton's proposed move to Leeds will go indeed through with Leeds struggling and Saints struggling for the right balance in midfield. Let's hope not, but Burley may well have made up his mind long ago.
Up front we are badly exposed given Rasiak's brief dip in form, with no other striker looking likely to score ten goals for us, unless David McGoldrick can make an unlikely meteoric introduction to first team football.
Watching Ricardo Fuller streaking through the Saints' defence for Stoke was a great source of frustration and although his high Premiership wages may have been proving a source of disruption in the dressing room, there is no denying he made a highly effective partnership up front at the end of last season.
As it is, Saints have two home games in quick succession this week with the fans needing to see Saints show some real drive and passion to get our season back on track. Round pegs into round holes would be a start.