GORDON STRACHAN believes Saints' strikeforce is good enough to steer them clear of trouble.

The former St Mary's boss is confident Steve Wigley's team will not become embroiled in a battle at the foot of table this season and predicted: "They will be fine."

Fans are getting increasingly worried by a lacklustre start to the season, which has seen Saints pick up just four points from the opening six games and sit level with newly-promoted clubs West Brom and Norwich above Crystal Palace at the foot of the table.

But Strachan, who guided Saints to their best-ever Premiership finish of eighth during the 2003/3 season, found himself in a similar situation that year.

After six games, Saints were also 17th in the table after picking up only five points from six games.

And like Wigley tonight at Northampton, he also faced a tricky League Cup tie against lower-league opposition.

Strachan considered resting his top-players, but picked a full strength team which hammered Tranmere 6-1 and then climbed into the top half of the table with three consecutive victories.

Strachan said: "They will be fine. They have got goalscorers. That is what you need to get out of trouble.

"They are in a bit of trouble just now, that can happen but it can change on something different.

"When I was at Southampton we were in a position like this a couple of years ago when we started not so well.

"My decision was: Do I play a full-strength side against Tranmere or do I rest people?

"I went for a full strength side and we took off."

Wigley faces a similar decision tonight for the clash with Northampton and looks likely to select a strong team.

As our table shows, slow starts are nothing new for Saints, with the opening six games often not providing much of a guide to Saints' final position.

Their best start in recent memory came last season under Strachan with 12 points, but they tailed off and finished 12th - one place lower than in 2001/2 when they had picked up nine fewer points at the same stage.

Saints have had worse starts than this three times in the last eight seasons and they have only twice chalked up more than one victory at this stage. But never has there been so much managerial uncertainty, with Sturrock leaving after two games this season following the exit of Strachan in February and Wigley's position under serious threat because he does not have the UEFA pro-licence.