DEAN Wilkins believes new Saints manager Nigel Adkins will need to bring in reinforcements quickly to help the beleaguered squad.

The caretaker manager saw his side slip to their third successive defeat since the departure of Alan Pardew with a 1- 0 loss at Swindon which plunged Saints into the relegation zone, kept off the bottom only by goal difference.

Amazingly it was the fourth time Saints have faced the Robins since the start of last season and they have now lost all four without notching a goal.

After the Swindon game, a deflated Wilkins admitted the squad requires strengthening as he believes it is a way short of what it was last season.

He said: “You look at the firepower from last season from Christmas onwards and we have probably got half the firepower than we did then.

“That’s something we need to address.

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“It’s probably a necessity now that there’s competition.

Those players that are starting need to be looking over their shoulders and seeing a player on the bench that if they’re not performing could take their place.

“At the moment I’m not seeing that.”

The only striker Saints had on the bench at Swindon was youngster Ryan Doble, who has yet to make a senior appearance for the club.

Wilkins continued: “It’s just getting your noses in front because when they got their goal you can see the confidence suffer.

“It’s frustrating, especially standing on the side because you want to get on there yourself and try and help.

“That’s where we’re at the moment, it’s not a good place.

“The squad is quite thin at the moment and I’m sure the chairman and the new guy will look at that and try and improve things.”

To his credit, Wilkins has tried to remain upbeat and positive for the sake of the club and the players during his time in caretaker charge.

However, after Swindon even he let his brave face slip, particularly you sensed in the light of the near circus that ensued last Thursday.

“Personally, the sooner it gets resolved the better,” said Wilkins, speaking the day before Adkins’ appointment was confirmed.

“Then the new man can come in and settle things down and we can go from there.

“It probably needs to happen now because there’s too much talk in and around the place. We need to really be focussed on getting three points every week rather than being distracted by other things.”