Alan Pardew is looking for a response from his side as they prepare to take on lowly Stockport this weekend.

The Saints manager confessed that the effects of the two games this week have taken its toll on the squad, but thinks he can put a team out on Saturday that is capable of earning three points against Gary Ablett's side.

"I would expect to win if I was a Southampton fan so I've got no problem with that but we've got to be big enough and good enough to deal with that because we're going to get more and more of these games where the fans are going to come in and expect us to win," he told Saints Player.

"I've had that at West Ham and at Reading, which can give you a negative stadium, not uncomfortably negative, just that they will expect and you've got to live with that expectation, so we won't hide from it. We can't afford too many misplaced passes so we've got to be accurate and clinical and that's what we hope to be.

"This week has been draining emotionally and physically. In the Ipswich game we were given the run-around for about 40 minutes and I think that hurt us on Tuesday when our midfield looked a little bit leggy and in hindsight I wish I'd changed my personnel a little bit in there.

"Ultimately to come out of the Brentford game with a draw was probably a good result and I hope we looked it that way at the end of the season because we've got to win some games now to get to where we want to go and make no bones about it we want to get into the play-offs if we can."

Stockport have had financial problems over the course of the season, but are not to be underestimated with the strength in depth they have acquired with loan additions to their squad, and the gaffer has warned his team not to take them lightly.

"They're having some difficulties financially and they've lost some key players which has hurt them which is why they are in the situation that they're in.

"The players that remain are fully focused however, and the manager is doing a great job, they're really making it tough for teams but as yet can't find that win that they need. We need to be ruthless, we mustn't allow them get through the door so we must put them to bed and that's what we'll do.

"On Tuesday we became a bit panicky and we created a situation where they (Brentford) could throw the ball long into our box when we could have had a bit more patience. I think it does come from conceding late goals against Millwall and Ipswich.

"It hurt us the late goal against Ipswich because we were comfortable in that game then we conceded a late goal and almost an equaliser if it wasn't for some great defending so I think we just need to calm down at the end of games and realise that the mentality at the end of the game will see us through whether it's 1-0 or 3-0 we don't want to give any more late goals away. We've talked about it being a goal that we could have prevented and we should have."

Saints' January window signings continue to find their feet in the squad and Pardew hopes that they will have the opportunity to settle in fully in the absence of a midweek game next week.

"There are four-five players that have only been here two weeks and they're trying to find their role in the dressing room still so it's a little bit quiet in there at the moment, but I've brought these guys in because they are characters and have personalities that will come out once they find their role.

"Fortunately we've got a free week next week one of very few so we've got to make use of that because we've got a lot of work to do with a lot of new players."