AS curtain-raisers go, it was an absolute shocker.

No-one likes to hear boos and jeers at the best of times, but it's certainly the last thing you need on the opening day, traditionally a time of hope and optimism.

In the football world, fans are always quick to aportion blame. There were boos at St Mary's on Saturday - plenty of them - for what was Saints' worst post-war opening day result. But who were the jeers directed towards, and who deserved them?

Should they have been aimed at George Burley? Was the 4-1 capitulation really his fault? Did he really want Gareth Bale and Chris Baird to leave?

Do you really think he wanted to go into the first game of the season with the defence he was forced to field?

Martin Cranie also left this summer, and possibly you could criticise the manager for that - had he given the youngster more opportunities to shine, perhaps the player might have stayed.

Before Saturday - when they shipped four goals in 27 minutes - Saints had only conceded 30 goals in 35 league games at St Mary's under Burley. But for almost all those games he used experienced centre halves.

As for his players, did they deserve the boos that accompanied their performance? To a degree, yes - they, after all, were the ones whose errors allowed James Scowcroft, scorer of five goals in 35 league games last season, a hat-trick inside half an hour.

If we're looking for scapegoats, do we look beyond the pitch and dug-out into the directors' box?

Chief executive Jim Hone and his fellow board supporters took the decision to sell the likes of Bale and Baird, without as yet freeing up enough funds for Burley to bring in experienced defensive replacements.

They could point to the fact that the manager chose to spend £1m on Marek Saganowski when he already had four strikers in his squad.

They could point to the fact that the manager chose to sign Youssef Safri for around £200,0000 when he already had players who could operate in central midfield - Wright, Viafara, Surman, Licka, Pele.

They could point to the fact that finances were so tight that players had to be sold in order to balance the books.

Last summer, due to the executives believing new investment was likely, sanctioned the spending of £5m in a matter of weeks.

It was a gamble which ultimately failed. The directors were, indeed are, in no position to cross their fingers again.

The time for gambling at St Mary's is over.

The overall 90 minutes on Saturday was the worst at St Mary's since the 2-0 home loss to Ipswich in January 2006. Back then, thousands stood up in protest at Lowe the day after Theo Walcott had been sold.

Lowe has been gone over a year now, but the legacy he left - relegation - continues to bite as hard as it did on the fateful day in May 2005.

Now minus the parachute payment, fans can only look back and wonder what happened in that first summer after relegation.

Why was Harry Redknapp only allowed £90,000 to spend - on Ricardo Fuller - in the hope of winning promotion at the first attempt?

2005/06 represented Saints' best chance at winning promotion, yet it was wasted. George Burley and Jim Hone are paying the price of that wastage two years down the line.

Look at the clubs who have come down this year. Sheffield United have spent £6m on two strikers and Charlton have splashed out over £5m. Watford have been less active, but did buy Jobi McAnuff from Palace for £1.5m.

So where does this all leave George Burley? Well, obviously in need of central defensive re-inforcements for starters.

If Derby are so keen to sign Kenwyne Jones, then Saints must play hardball. Ask the Rams for Darren Moore as part of the deal.

He is exactly the sort of central defender Saints need.

If that's a no-go, then Jones should be sacrificed for the good of the club - providing all the money goes to Burley.

By turning down Derby's bids for the striker - the second for £4m plus £1m worth of add ons - they have said we don't need the money'.

That is good. Burley, however, does need it, and quickly.

Everyone with Saints' best interests know he has to be given the finance to make his side competitive.

And he has just 18 days in which to do it ...