There may have a former England boss at The Dell - and quite possibly a future one - but the latest, Sven-Goran Eriksson, would have learned virtually nothing had he been in attendance.

Glenn Hoddle has revived Southampton in the year since he took over, while Alan Curbishley has earned many plaudits for his work at Charlton, but this was Premiership football at its most ordinary.

Of the Englishmen on show, Dean Richards was by far the most impressive, while Matthew Oakley came closest to scoring with two excellent shots. Otherwise, it was a Dane, Charlton's Claus Jensen, who shone most brightly.

There was also a faultless performance from Dean Kiely, Charlton's Republic of Ireland international keeper, who ensured the visitors returned to London with a point.

Charlton were perhaps still shell-shocked from last weekend's FA Cup fright at the hands of Dagenham and Redbridge, and Southampton enjoyed the lion's share of possession.

But without their influential Latvian Marian Pahars, Saints struggled to break down the Addicks, whose away form has been terrible and who looked from the start as if they would be content with a point.

Jensen was always Charlton's best hope, especially in the absence of the injured - and much-missed - Finn Jonatan Johansson.

In the opening exchanges the Dane almost threaded an immaculate pass through to Mathias Svensson, but Richards was alert and snuffed out the danger.

Norwegian Jo Tessem strode forward in the 12th minute before unleashing a powerful low strike which whizzed a yard wide.

Svensson was presented with a chance six yards out, after Mark Fish's long throw was inadvertently flicked on by Richards. The Swede was so surprised to receive the ball, he could not react quick enough and it bounced off his head and wide.

James Beattie, who had scored eight times in the six previous league games at The Dell, should really have opened the scoring after 23 minutes.

Chris Marsden bustled his way into the box and the ball broke kindly for Beattie, who was eight yards out with only Dean Kiely to beat. But the Charlton keeper flung himself down and stuck out a foot to deflect the shot for a corner.

A foul on Svensson presented Jensen with a free-kick in a central position, 25 yards out, but the Dane's strike was straight into the defensive wall.

Kevin Davies picked out the run of Hassan Kachloul with a curling cross, and the leaping Moroccan tried to bullet in a header but got his direction hopelessly wrong.

Scott Parker then fouled Kachloul 25 yards out and only the presence of Graham Stuart on the line prevented Beattie giving Saints the lead from the free-kick. Beattie's strike evaded the wall and was heading low into the corner until Stuart intercepted the shot.

Just before the break, Richards met Kachloul's corner but thumped his header a yard too high.

It took almost 70 minutes for the first real drama of the match. Charlton messed around with the ball in defence it fell into no man's land 35 yards out.

Matthew Oakley showed no hesitation in striking the ball first time, and it rocketed over Kiely's dive but crashed off the bar.

Dan Petrescu, Saints' £800,000 signing from Bradford, was given 15 minutes to make his mark after replacing Davies, but it was to be no dream debut for the Romanian.

However, within a minute Oakley again was denied. The ball was only half-cleared as far as the edge of the penalty area, and Oakley met it with a stinging low drive which Kiely somehow saved, diving low to his left to pull off a one-handed stop.

Teams:

Southampton: Jones, Dodd, Lundekvam, Richards, Bridge, Oakley, Marsden (Draper 67), Tessem, Kachloul, Beattie, Davies (Petrescu 75).

Subs Not Used: Moss, Caceres, Rosler.

Charlton: Kiely, Kishishev, Konchesky, Rufus, Fish, Stuart, Jensen (Salako 89), Todd, Parker (Caig 83), Bartlett (Lisbie 83), Svensson.

Subs Not Used: Brown, Powell.

Att: 15,220

Ref: S Lodge (Barnsley).