STEVE WIGLEY knows his number one task - to instil some belief back into his beleaguered Saints side.

The under pressure head coach saw his team put in a spirited first half display to hold Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday.

But seven minutes after the re-start Paul Scholes gave the Red Devils the lead and Saints' confidence visibly drained and they were eventually well beaten 3-0 having failed to muster a decent shot on goal.

It left Saints stuck in the relegation zone just three games short of the halfway mark of the 2004/05 Premiership campaign.

Saints have now taken just nine points from Wigley's 14 games in charge and, in all, have won just twice in their last 21 Premiership matches.

Wigley said: "At the minute it is absolutely paramount for people to believe in themselves.

"When you're in our position in the league that's not very easy.

"We lacked a little belief in possession and that's why we didn't get at Manchester United.

"It's difficult to take anything from the game ... the only thing I can have on the way home is a lot of thoughts and a lot of disappointment."

Regarding his own position Wigley admitted the hardest thing was to stop his players being distracted by the constant rumours.

"That's the hardest thing but the one thing I have tried to do is not to bring my situation into any debate," he said.

"I've just got to concentrate on getting the team right and making sure my situation doesn't affect them."

Wigley received some consoling words from United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who said: "If it is any consolation, we have all been there.

"Every manager in the game has been down Steve's road and all I can say is that he must not stop believing in himself."

But a glimpse at this morning's national newspapers will not make Wigley feel any more secure about his future role at St Marys.

Rumours are again rife that Glenn Hoddle is about to take up the reins before the half-way point of the season and could link up with his righthand man John Gorman.

Gorman's Wycombe lost 3-0 at home to Luton in the FA Cup at the weekend and the boss has admitted that a move to Southampton was on the cards just over a year ago, describing it as "almost a done deal for me and Glenn to go back".