Arsene Wenger is refusing to change his system for Theo Walcott

Koeman is concerned his reputation is on the line as he chases a first Premier League win this season

On Monday afternoon Ronald Koeman watched Southampton’s Under 21 team continue their unbeaten start to the season with a 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough at the club’s Staplewood training ground.

At first glance there is nothing remarkable about that, except there were a number of times during the game when Koeman was shaking his head at Martin Hunter’s young team.

When Southampton’s ambitious coach arrived at one of the best-run clubs in the country last summer, there were promises of progression and a push for the Champions League. A year on, there is tension building between Koeman and Southampton’s head of football development Les Reed, with the pair in frequent disagreement over the talent pool at the club.

Southampton manager Ronald Koeman looks on from the dugout during defeat in Denmark on Thursday night

Martin Hunter is in charge of Southampton's Under 21 team who are unbeaten so far this season

Two years ago, when Southampton opened the Barclays Premier League season with a 1-0 victory at West Bromwich Albion, they started the game with six English players.

Southampton championed English talent, making a commitment to the national team by developing young players and building an academy that was the envy of other Premier League clubs.

At Watford last weekend, the only academy player in the starting XI was Matt Targett, who was forced to play with an illness because regular left back Ryan Bertrand is recovering from knee surgery.

Tensions are rising at the training ground and not only because Koeman has been powerless to prevent some of his best players leaving over the past 12 months.

Reed, who remains close with Hunter, continues to push the Under 21 players towards the first team, but he is being met with resistance by Koeman.

The Dutchman wants players with first-team pedigree.

Southampton players celebrate a 1-0 victory against West Bromwich Albion in August 2013

Matt Targett was the only academy player to start for Southampton against Watford last Sunday

In the summer, young academy graduate Jordan Turnbull was promised a role in Southampton’s pre-season preparations following his return from a loan spell at Swindon Town.

The England Under 20 defender had agreed a new three-and-a-half-year contract in February, was assured of a bright future at the club and promised a chance to make an impression.

Turnbull started just one pre-season game, a 5-4 defeat against RB Leipzig on July 8, and has returned to Swindon on loan for the season.

Sam Gallagher, another product of the fabled academy, has joined MK Dons on loan after Koeman decided he would not make his first-team squad this season.

Midfielder Harrison Reed, who has made a handful of first-team appearances over the past two years, is frustrated with life on the bench. He is considering a loan move to Derby.

Jordan Turnbull plays for Southampton in a pre-season friendly - but he has now returned to Swindon on loan

Sam Gallagher is another product of the academy - but he has joined MK Dons on loan

Midfielder Harrison Reed has only made a handful of first-team appearances over the past two years

James Ward-Prowse’s progress has also been stunted. He has lost his starting place in the England Under 21 team and has failed to convince Koeman he should be in the Southampton side. When Ward-Prowse came on as a substitute at Vicarage Road last Saturday, the central midfielder was played in an unfamiliar position out on the left.

Southampton have made a shaky start to the season, with the departure of Morgan Schneiderlin to Manchester United and the contract issue with captain Jose Fonte continuing to cause friction.

United’s continued pursuit of Sadio Mane, who arrived from RB Salzburg last year, has also been destabilising in the final days of the summer transfer window.

James Ward-Prowise (No 16) watches the ball come in from a cross during Sunday's match against Watford

Morgan Schneiderlin is now at Manchester United after joining from Southampton during the summer

The contract issue with Southampton captain Jose Fonte continues to cause friction

Sadio Mane (centre) comes off the pitch after sustaining an injury at Vicarage Road on Sunday

Koeman, who has aspirations to manage the Holland national team, is concerned that his reputation is on the line as he searches for his first win of the Premier League season.

He wants to manage a team chasing the game’s top honours, but he fears that Southampton’s selling policy will stifle his ambitions.

Without the fame academy, they also risk losing a lot of goodwill.

Time to unleash Theo

Arsene Wenger is regarded as one of the game’s great innovators, but Arsenal’s manager is refusing to change his system to accommodate one of the club’s highest-paid players.

Theo Walcott expected to be starting games after signing a new four-year contract that turned him into one of Arsenal’s big earners over the summer.

Although he is still some way short of Mesut Ozil’s £140,000-plus-a-week salary, Wenger valued the England player highly enough to sign him up on big bucks.

Arsenal's Theo Walcott runs during a training session at London Colney on Wednesday

Instead, Walcott has been a substitute in all three Barclays Premier League games because Wenger prefers the more muscular presence of Olivier Giroud. Picking a second striker is a non-starter.

Since the Community Shield victory over Chelsea, Walcott has played 32 minutes in the 2-0 defeat against West Ham on the opening day of the season and 17 minutes against Liverpool on Monday evening.

In between, when Arsenal won 2-1 at Crystal Palace, Walcott did not even get off the substitutes’ bench at Selhurst Park.

Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud in action against Liverpool during the Premier League match on Monday

That is not what Walcott had in mind when he agreed to extend his stay at the Emirates.

He earned the right to a proper run in his preferred position after scoring a hat-trick against West Brom on the final day of the Barclays Premier League season.

He went on to score the opening goal in the FA Cup final against Aston Villa, a strike on the big stage that convinced Wenger to give him a new contract. Three games into Arsenal’s season and it’s time Wenger and Walcott made a fresh start.

Giroud (left) is replaced by substitute Theo Walcott (centre) as Arsene Wenger (second right) looks on

WHAT I'M HEARING...

1 Lucio restaurant on London’s Fulham Road has earned such a good reputation among high-ranking Chelsea employees over the years that it is referred to as the staff canteen.

But one high-profile guest has changed his habits in recent months, with Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho preferring to call in to pick up takeaways for his family.

The Lucio restaurant on Fulham Road is popular among high-ranking Chelsea employees

2 Bastian Schweinsteiger is slowly getting his fitness back following his move from Bayern Munich, but his professionalism has impressed Manchester United staff. Schweinsteiger stopped outside Old Trafford for 20 minutes after the 0-0 draw with Newcastle last weekend to sign autographs for young United fans.

Bastian Schweinsteiger (right) on the ball for Manchester United against Club Bruges on Wednesday

3 Pedro had the choice of Manchester City, Manchester United or Chelsea when he left Barcelona, but the chances of a move to the Etihad Stadium were always remote.

The Spanish winger is represented by Bahia Internacional, who also happen to be the same agency who represent Jesus Navas, the player who would have been Pedro’s direct rival for a place in the City team.