No hiding place for Davis

The 36-year-old has only recently regained his place in the starting line-up, having been dropped four matches into the Premier League season.

Paulo Gazzaniga and Artur Boruc are both looking to claim the number one spot and had their chances of a recall boosted on Boxing Day by a mistake in the 1-1 draw at Fulham

Davis could only fumble a Sascha Riether cross into the path of Dimitar Berbatov for the opener and, despite the wet and windy conditions, Adkins, himself a former goalkeeper, knows Davis should have done better.

"Some of Kelvin's distribution was outstanding yet again," the Southampton boss said.

"Kelvin has had a very quiet afternoon when you look at it. He has not really had that many things to go and do.

"The conditions are what they are. We are all accustomed to playing in the wind, rain, snow, bumpy pitches, hard pitches, dry pitches.

"You've just got to deal with it. You can't complain about it."

Adkin s might be tempted to make a change in goal when Southampton visit Stoke on Saturday, although he would not be drawn on reports linking the south coast club with a move for another goalkeeper.

"There is speculation about everybody, I don't know where it comes from half the time," he said when asked about Blackburn's Paul Robinson.

"We've got three goalkeepers vying for the positions. I have high hopes for Paulo and two experienced goalkeepers.

"On the training ground they are working really hard and Kelvin has got the shirt at the moment."

Adkins revealed Southampton picked up one or two knocks in the hard-fought draw at Craven Cottage.

He expects those unnamed players to recover in time for the trip to the Britannia Stadium, but Saints captain Adam Lallana is out with a knee complaint.

Adkins remained coy on the severity of the knee injury and would not be drawn on the possibility of cover for Lallana being brought in this January.< /p>

"He's not going to play against Stoke and that is all we're going to talk about," Adkins said.

"We are not going to speculate about anybody. It is fair to say in January, all teams will be open for business."