DELL legend Francis Benali has pleaded with Saints fans: Keep the faith.

The former Saints left-back looked at the club's dismal start to the 2004/05 season, which has left them joint bottom of the Premiership, and remarked: "I've known worse!"

Steve Wigley sends his injury-hit men into action against Birmingham on Sunday with Saints having taken just five points from nine Premiership games.

Wigley has only picked up two points out of possible 21 since he was placed in charge two days after the club's only league win of the campaign - a 3-2 home success against Blackburn on August 23.

But Benali was part of the squad that only claimed TWO points out of the first 27 in 1998/99, just THREE in 1993/94 and only FOUR in 1997/98 - and, obviously, on all three occasions Saints survived.

Benali, who played 370 league and cup games for Saints between 1987 and 2003, said: "I'm as big a Southampton fan as anyone and in my eyes it's certainly not all doom and gloom at the moment.

"It's obviously not the start we would have hoped for - there's a lot more expectation these days and our ambitions are set a bit higher than they used to.

"As a result, you feel the disappointment even more when things don't go your way.

"But as disappointing as the start has been, we haven't had a lot of luck and I'm sure we will be fine.

"This start won't continue. I know the people at the club, I know the coaching staff and the majority of the players, and they will turn it around.

"I have every confidence and belief in them doing that.

"If we're still in this position in January or February then there will be some concern, but not right now."

Benali drew on the memory of a number of successful battles against the drop and confessed: "Strength of character is so important at times when you're not playing particularly well or results aren't going your way.

"And you just need to keep working hard in between games and start grinding out results.

"You need people to be strong physically and mentally - you also need mental strength individually and collectively.

"You do need experience at a time like this - I look back and we had people like Neil Ruddock, Iain Dowie and Dave Beasant.

"It's all too easy to get caught up in any negative vibes that you read or hear.

"It can be difficult to block them out.

"I always had confidence in my ability when I played - it's like driving, when you're out there playing you always feel you're in a position to control what goes on.

"All the time I was playing I was confident we would get out of a sticky situation - but as I said, it's tough to block out negative vibes."

Benali's former team-mate Jason Dodd last weekend called for all Saints fans to show unity against Birmingham.

And Benali agreed, saying: "The fans are so important - they play a massive part in the overall jigsaw.

"When you're out there playing it's very apparent when they're fully behind you and when they aren't.

"Obviously you want them behind you, when you get that it's an amazing feeling - when they're booing you're aware of it and when they're quiet it's obvious to the players that there's no atmosphere.

"Fans pay their money and they are entitled to their opinions, there's no dispute about that.

"But in times of need, you need everyone pulling together.

"From a players' perspective it's great if you go out there and the fans are right behind you straight away - though sometimes you need the players to do something to get the fans going, it's like a chicken and egg situation.

"Sunday's game is important, it's an opportunity to get three points and it's a home game. But every game is important - I wouldn't say it was a must-win game.

"We're only in October, if we lose on Sunday it's not as if we're going down. There's plenty of time left.

"It's too easy to focus on the negatives - be it in football or life.

"It's all too easy to be negative and jump on a bandwagon - it shows more strength mentally to concentrate on the positives.

"As a player you just have to block out the negatives.

"If you've had a bad start you have to brace yourselves for a hard slog, you have to be positive.

"No team is too good to go down, look at Forest and West Ham. The Premiership is not a believer of reputations. You have to produce the goods.

"There's probably frustration and tension among the players and staff at the club - they will be realistic about the position we are in."