INTERIM Saints boss Simon Rusk hopes Cameron Archer can end his four-month goal drought and build confidence ahead of the Championship season.

Rusk insisted the former England youth international still has "great potential" and is striving to "get better" amid his goalscoring struggles.

Archer, a £15million summer signing from Aston Villa, has not scored since finding the net in Southampton's 2-1 Carabao Cup defeat to Liverpool in December.

The former Villa forward has only started four games since that goal, including Rusk’s first game back in interim charge, and returned to the bench at West Ham.

Archer's professionalism was regularly praised by Ivan Juric before his departure, and Rusk echoed a similar sentiment when asked about the forward's lack of goals.

"If you are not getting in regular games, it can be difficult, but sometimes you have to be patient," Rusk told the Daily Echo.

"The lack of goals for the team and for him is something we are all thinking about, but I think we have all got to carry that.

"What I can tell you is that Cam is great to work with. He is desperate to get better. I think he has great potential.

"I am sure this period, where it may have felt a bit tough with the goals and the situation in general, is only going to make him better.

"At the moment, you go to the clichés and you keep going, keep working hard, keep trying to improve your game on and off the pitch. He is certainly trying to do that.

"Sometimes centre-forwards, in particular if you are in a team that is nearer the bottom and your team is creating fewer chances, it is logical that you have less goals. 

"Hopefully, that moment does come for him, in terms of scoring plenty of goals between now and the end of the season. Maybe it will, maybe it won't."

On paper, Archer is a player capable of scoring goals in the Championship, having managed 11 goals in 22 games in his last second-tier campaign.

Archer was a target for now-promoted Leeds United back in the winter window, and gave a non-committal answer about his future when asked if he hopes to stay in the top flight.

Rusk does not sense any drop-off in Archer's desire to improve, and confessed Archer may need to earn his own luck.

"We have all got that optimistic mind, but we know how tough that is. My job is to set the team up to hopefully get the best out of the team, but also people's individual attributes.

"We all have a choice to push our bodies and minds to their limit, or take our foot off the gas. As I am assessing it, Cam, as well as everyone, has got his foot on the gas. 

"I believe that, in the end, you earn your own luck. Sometimes it can feel a long way away. I am really hopeful that we can finish the season well with Cam."