Former Saints manager Dave Merrington described Saints’ parent company possibly entering administration as "tragic for the fans."

Merrington, boss at the Dell in 1995/96, said he was "not that shocked" by this morning’s news from the Stock Exchange.

"It all stems from relegation in 2005 and since then things have gone from bad to worse.

"They have had different boards and they have ended up blaming each other.

"It’s tragic for the fans – it’s the fans I feel sorry for.

"And you just wonder what effect it will have on the players before such an important game this weekend?"

Merrington added: "The fans have just got to get behind the players and give them as much support as possible."