The bells of St Mary's are ringing loud - and sounding a chilling alarm for new boss Gordon Strachan.

The international break means he now has two weeks to put things right either on the training field or in the transfer market before an absolutely crucial six-pointer at Derby.

Only the Rams' heavy defeat at Middlesbrough has kept Southampton off the bottom on goal difference but Strachan must now be painfully aware of the size of task facing him.

The early change at the helm was a pre-emptive strike designed to get the club clear of trouble before they got stranded but the signs are it is going to be a long hard slog.

Little more than a fortnight ago supporters were clinging to the fact that their team had had an incredibly tough start but were entering a run of nine games which should all bring points.

They are now almost halfway through that sequence with just one draw and three defeats to show for their four games, three under new management.

That is far from an instant fix and the underlying problem remains the same with not enough depth and quality to the squad, despite the signs of improvement.

So far Strachan has picked up two free transfers from his old club Coventry in Paul Williams and Paul Telfer.

It has to be said that, alongside the inspirational Chris Marsden, the pair were the best performers for their new team - and yet they were brought in mainly as back-up! Change takes time and money and a large wedge of the Dean Richards will need to be spent to bring in real quality quickly to give the team a lift before they are cut adrift.

It is far from a hopeless task though as there were some positive pointers in their play but the main ingredient missing is belief.

What wouldn't Saints give for one lucky break to give them that elusive first home win? They desperately need to cling on to a lead to kickstart their home campaign and set them moving.

Perhaps the most worrying aspect of this latest home defeat was that Strachan's men played well enough to win. They had most of the play and plenty of chances and looked the better of two unremarkable sides.

On balance, even a draw would have been a disappointment. But to lose was a real sickener - and not just because it was a spawny last-minute goal which looked yards offside.

Not only did it give Blackburn their first away win back in the Premiership and former boss Graeme Souness a quiet smirk of satisfaction, but it had a hugely deflating effect on Saints and their fans.

It all looked so encouraging early on as the home team knocked the ball around neatly, driven on by Marsden who broke forward well albeit with little support at times.

After taking ten minutes to re-adjust to the pace of the Premiership Telfer proved a dangerous outlet on the right of midfield as they got in good crosses towards James Beattie clearly desperate to impress against his old club.

One-time Southampton transfer target Brad Friedel made excellent saves from Marsden and Marian Pahars before the Latvian got the break-through on 36 minutes.

A long kick by Paul Jones was flicked on by Beattie for Pahars who twisted his way into the box and lashed in a shot which flashed through Friedel who was deceived by a slight deflection off the knee of Henning Berg closing down.

If Saints could only have held the lead to half-time it might all have been different but they were stunned by Tugay's bolt from the blue which set the doubts niggling away once more.

David Dunn and Gary Flitcroft combined neatly to set up the Turkish international who hammered an unstoppable shot into the top left corner from 25 yards.

It was the visitors' first real threat on goal and their last serious effort on target until their winner in the final minute of the second half - perhaps further evidence for Strachan's concerns over fitness.

If anything Saints had looked the more likely to snatch it late on as they had Rovers on the backfoot with Beattie powering a diving header against a post.

And Friedel made two more vital stops, a spectacular fingertip save from a Williams blast and a vital close-range block from Pahars clean in on goal. It was impossible to escape the striking similarity between that moment and Hignett's winner. Both chances looked offside at first glance although replays showed that Pahars was OK.

His effort seemed somehow half-hearted as though he expected a flag and the slight hesitation and lack of conviction in the shot allowed the keeper to close him down.

Contrast that to Hignett who did not hesitate as he latched onto the deft lift through by Marcus Bent and clinically flipped it past the advancing Paul Jones.

It was a horrible morale-sapping moment and one which Saints must shake off if it is not to have the same kind of dispiriting effect which they inflicted on Blackburn last time the sides met.