STEVE WIGLEY will be hoping lightning strikes for the third time against Birmingham on Sunday.

Wigley goes into the clash against the Blues at St Mary's aiming for his first win as head coach at the eighth attempt.

So far Wigley has just two goalless draws from clashes at Charlton and at home to Manchester City to show from seven matches.

That is the same return as Graeme Souness and Stuart Gray managed from their first seven league games in charge in 1996 and 2001 respectively.

But Souness won his eighth game - 4-0 against Middlesbrough at The Dell thanks to goals from Matt Le Tissier (2), Matt Oakley and Gordon Watson.

That kickstarted Saints' season. In his ninth game they drew 1-1 with Coventry before caning Sunderland 3-0 and Manchester United 6-3.

Gray only saw his side score ONE goal in his first seven matches in charge after replacing Glenn Hoddle in March 2001 - scored by Marian Pahars in a 1-1 draw at Newcastle.

But in HIS eighth game Saints came alive to beat Manchester United 2-1 at home, and in his ninth they defeated Arsenal 3-2 in the emotional last-ever league game at The Dell.

Wigley could do with a similar situation happening - victory at home in his eighth game and then avoiding defeat in his ninth, the trip to Highbury.

Ironically, the best points return from his first seven matches in charge of any post-war Saints manager is the 12 collected by Wigley's predecessor, Paul Sturrock!

I guess that shows more than anything else just how irrelevant statistics can be - a good start is no guarantee of eventual success, as Luggy found out. And, don't forget, Gordon Strachan hardly had the best of starts, did he?