MANOLO Gabbiadini insists he does not feel under pressure to score, but hopes the goals start flowing again after a seven-game drought as Saints take on Stoke on Sunday.

The Italian striker also says he will not be working on his penalty taking after missing a spot kick in the goalless draw against Manchester United on Wednesday night.

After six goals in his opening four matches following a £14.5m move from Napoli on January transfer deadline day, injury struck and since then Gabbiadini’s goals have dried up.

Speaking through a translator, the 25-year-old said: “There’s no pressure, not at all, I am used to the pressure and in Italy the pressure was much greater, so I don’t feel the pressure at all over here.

“It’s just one of those moments,” he added, talking about the penalty against United, “that happens in football and sometimes you score two or three goals a game, but sometimes you don’t score as many.”

The former Sampdoria man has stressed that penalty taking has never been an issue in his career before.

And, therefore, he doesn’t feel the need to go and practice them in training after Sergio Romero saved his spot kick.

“So far in my career I’ve never missed a penalty,” he said. “This was the first one, so I don’t think I need to do any extra work.

“You only miss a penalty if you step up and take it.”

Gabbiadini is learning English and although he arrived not being able to speak a word of the language, he is feeling right at home at St Mary’s.

“I feel well settled now because I’ve a lot of good and nice people here at the club and they’ve all helped in some way,” he said. “I am at home now.”

“I was very happy at the start I made because that’s what I was brought here to do, to score goals, so that was a big help for me,” the Italy international stated about his incredible start.

“But after some less positive moments I have to keep working hard and keep the belief that I can get back to that scoring form I had.”

Gabbiadini, who also lists Juventus, Atalanta, Cittadella and Bologna among his former clubs, isn’t too focussed on his own form, with the team’s results his main priority ahead of the season's finale against Stoke on Sunday.

“I want to keep working hard to get back to my scoring form but it’s not as important for me to score as it is as the team getting results," he said.

“It’s the performance that’s important rather than my own goals.”