STEVE Wigley has warned his new charges to beware a Bolton backlash.

Wigley -- the man who has taken charge of Southampton team affairs following the shock departure of Paul Sturrock -- has taken a close look at Wanderers' two performances this season and is taking a cautious approach to Wednesday night's game at St Mary's

James Beattie's injury time penalty winner against Blackburn on Saturday might not have been enough to save Sturrock's job but it was a huge boost to the Southampton players, even though Wigley saw flaws in the 3-2 victory, which he fears could be exposed.

"We got a fortunate late penalty which got us a win out of the Blackburn game but, if we give goals away like we did on Saturday, we'll spoil things for everybody," said the former youth coach who is now head coach and, like everyone else, awaiting developments on the managerial front.

"We'll have to be tighter at the back because Bolton are a very good side.

"I saw the video of their game against Charlton, when they were superb, and I know they will be smarting because they weren't on the right end of the result against Fulham on Saturday."

Smarting does not come close to describing Sam Allardyce's feelings after the chalk and cheese displays in the first two games. Concerned that his players could plumb such depths at Fulham after the highs they hit against Charlton, he is looking for a marked improvement but does not believe Wanderers will be helped in any way by Monday's managerial bombshell.

"I don't think it will affect Southampton," he said. "Some players will be disappointed, some will be glad he's gone because they might not have played as much as they would have wanted.

"Normally you'd say that, when a manager gets sacked, the team seams to give a little more.

"But, having seen Southampton battling back to beat Blackburn, even though they were a wee bit lucky, they'll already be feeling good.

"That's the sort of break that, when you're a manager under pressure, it would normally keep you in a job, and give you a chance to overcome the problems.

"This time round it had the opposite affect."

Allardyce said he was "very, very surprised" to see Sturrock sacked after just two games this season and only 13 since he joined Southampton from Plymouth in March.

"I shouldn't be surprised," he said, "because it seems to happen every year. The worst case I can recall is Dave Watson being sacked by Tranmere after they lost a pre-season game against Birmingham.

"It never gets any better. We're in a situation today where the pressures are unbelievable because the owners of clubs are not patient and not prepared to give anybody a fair crack of the whip.

"As managers we are always the scapegoats and Paul Sturtrock has fallen foul of that.

"This is just an example of what happens to somebody who's only been in a job for two minutes, then all of a sudden goes. He was good enough 13 games ago but, for whatever reason now, he's not good enough any more, which is rather sad."