Alan Pardew is fully focused on the league programme and will not be taking this weekend's opponents lightly.
The Saints manager only has eyes for Saturday's game at Exeter and admits that his side will have to be at the best to get a result against the Grecians who notably dispatched Leeds United 2-0 at St. James Park last month.
"They were absolutely brilliant that day," he told Saints Player. "They won well and deserved to win by more, so if we think we have a lovely trip down the coast to Exeter to get us some preparation for MK Dons and Portsmouth, then we are completely wrong. Our fans will be very vocal, it's a noisy little stadium and we need to produce a performance that takes us into Tuesday.
"We are approaching it very much on a game to game basis at the moment. We plan the week as we see it, although it doesn't always work out as you plan it. The first hurdle is the League, and that is still our most important competition. We need to win at Exeter and that is what we will focus on to start with.
"Performances will dictate what we do after that. The team I have in my mind for Tuesday could change given performances on Saturday. People need to produce performances of a high level here to stay in the game."
The match sees defender Dan Seaborne make his return to the Devon a month on from his switch to St. Mary's, and the gaffer admits he will be calling on the former Grecians' captain's knowledge of his previous Club.
"I think he has been excellent since he has been here. He has had a great attitude to the training ground and that is a good marker for what is going on at Exeter. They obviously have a good work ethic down there and are producing players and are trying to do it the right way so I applaud the staff for that. Fortunately he's our player now and we hope to take him forward."
Another factor Pardew is cautious of is the current perception of the Club after Saints' recent transfer activity.
"The perception in our insular football world is that we are on the up. There will be a lot of jealousy, which I am starting to feel from other managers. It's good for us, but no so good for them.
"Envy is always going to be with a team that is growing, Manchester City are experiencing that in the Premiership, and Chelsea had it before them. Of course, once you establish yourself it goes onto someone else, but whilst we are growing we are getting a lot of attention. We are trying to do it very quickly as we are two divisions down from where we want to be."
