FORMER Saints striker Gordon Watson has jumped to Steve Wigley's defence, insisting: "He's been asked to go into battle without any ammunition!"

Watson, part of the Saints teams that survived a couple of relegation battles in the mid-to-late 1990s, knows Wigley well from time spent training with Saints reserves when he was playing for Hartlepool United.

He can't believe some sections of the St Mary's faithful are already demanding the head coach be replaced after just ten league games in charge - five of which have been drawn and five lost, though all by the odd goal.

And he is also asking concerned fans to STOP singing anti-Rupert Lowe songs during games - even though Watson himself isn't a huge supporter of the chairman.

"In all my time at The Dell the fans always stuck together with the team," said Watson, who was signed by Alan Ball for £1.2m in 1995.

"That's what they need now.

"It doesn't help to shout any abuse towards the players during games, or abuse towards Rupert Lowe either.

"If anyone wants to shout abuse at the chairman they should have done it at the agm. It's destructive to shout abuse at him during games because that's during a time when supporters' energies should be challenged into supporting the team.

"You probably have a different type of supporter now, but the fans have to be patient. I know they are worried, and they are entitled to be worried, but we have been in worse situations.

"I remember being in the bottom three in March - there's still 26 games left this season!

"You can't judge Steve Wigley until he's been given his best side to work with - he hasn't been able to do that so far. He's been without Phillips and Beattie, who would probably get into most Premiership teams, and he hasn't had Michael Svensson or Matt Oakley at all - and I rate Oakley as the best midfielder they have got.

"I know Steve won't use injuries as an excuse, but it's a fact. You can't send your main team into battle without your key soldiers."

Watson knows all too well the mentality the current Saints squad must possess if they are to dig themselves out of the relegation zone.

"They've got to keep a feeling of togetherness, they have to keep working hard and they have to keep believing - those are all cliches and the fans probably don't want to hear cliches, but that's what they have to do.

"The players have got to go out and do it. They shouldn't hide behind Steve Wigley.

Like some fans, meanwhile, Watson is amazed that Dell legend Lawrie McMenemy has been frozen out of St Mary's.

"I can't understand why someone like Lawrie is not involved," he said. "He is Mr Southampton - but you have had someone, Rupert Lowe, come in and turn their back on him - and what Rupert Lowe knows about football you can write on the back of a stamp and still have room for his name and address!"

Watson summed up: "I'm confident Saints can survive, but then I'm someone who approaches most things in a confident mood.

"It's always easy to knock, always easy to jump on a bandwagon and criticise, but it's not so easy to stay strong and say 'Judge Steve when he's got his full squad available to choose from.'

"As I said, there's no point having a pop at the chairman during games ... the players will be fully aware of it if it happens.

"I'd say to the fans 'don't panic - otherwise that feeling could affect the whole club.'"