Adkins took Southampton to promotion last season, his third promotion from League One having twice gone up previously with Scunthorpe and, incredibly, the manager who had enough money to wrestle both Jack Cork and Danny Fox from us whilst testing us with a big offer for Jay Rodriguez points to our parachute money.
"Burnley were in the Premier League not so long ago and they want to get back there for sure," Adkins said, adding: "The parachute payments that they have will suggest that the finance is there for them to have another pop at it and get back in.
"We know going away to Turf Moor will be a very challenging fixture. It's the start of a very challenging week for us in respect of Burnley away on the Saturday, Cardiff away on the Wednesday before Watford at home on the Saturday.
"It's a big week for us and it means that the squad will be utilised again, everyone has to work very hard because we all know that we have three very hard games."
Assistant manager Jason Tindall has stood in for Eddie Howe this week and he said: "It's a great challenge for us. Southampton are full of confidence following their promotion last year and they have got off to a great start in the Championship this season.
"The last time we played a team at the top of the league was Derby and we went there and showed everybody what we are capable of. This will be no different and we are capable of beating anyone in this division and that will be our aim, to go out there and perform and get the three points. We know we can cause them problems.
"They are a good side and they are not top of the league for no reason, but so are we and if we impose our game on them and play to our full potential then we know it's a game we can win."
Referring to the win over MK Franchise, Tindall added: "Every win breeds confidence and no doubt it will have done the lads the world of good getting that victory, but it was a game we were expected to win and we would have been disappointed had we not won, so we are not going to kid ourselves.
"These next two games are games we are capable of winning as well. That will be the aim and if we work extremely hard there's no reason why we can't do that.
"It was always going to be a big week this week with three home games. One is out of the way and we have gone through in the Carling Cup and now going into these two big league games we now know what is expected."