SAINTS boss Gordon Strachan has dismissed any lingering relegation fears and instead targeted winning the 'ought to beat' league.

After last week's 0-0 draw with Bolton, Saints' Premiership run-in sees them face Ipswich, Sunderland, Blackburn, Charlton, and Aston Villa away and Middlesbrough, Leicester, Fulham, Derby, Everton and Newcastle at home - with the exception of Newcastle, all sides who expect to beat each other.

Rather than setting a points total required to stay in the top flight, the Saints boss has told his players where he expects them to finish in the Premiership at the end of season - and it's far away from the bottom three.

Saints currently sit four points off Tottenham in eighth place and have a six-point cushion over third from bottom Blackburn.

Speaking ahead of tomorrow's trip to Ipswich, Strachan said: "I've told my players the target and it's not a points target but it's a position in the league I want to get to.

"We are closer to seventh or eight place than we are to third bottom.

"We are playing some teams that we think we ought to beat but the teams that are playing us are saying 'we are playing Southampton which is a team we ought to beat' as well.

"We are in the 'ought to beat' league at this moment so everybody says the same."

Saints, currently 13th, travel to 15th-placed Ipswich tomorrow knowing a win would not only lift them well clear of the Premiership trap door but also leave them just a couple of wins off a European spot.

Since the Premiership switched to 20 teams in 1995, 41 points has always been enough to ensure survival and Saints require just ten points from their remaining 11 fixtures to hit that magic total.

But for Strachan it's places rather than points which are the issue and he knows exactly what is required to finish top of the 'ought to beat' league.

He said: "It's the teams who work the hardest, are organised and get a wee bit of luck who will win that wee league.

"We have got it but as we showed against Bolton, in the 'ought to beat' league they can all create chances and make mistakes but considering the circumstances that was alright.

"I definitely wanted the three points and the shape of team said that but we are as positive as we can be."

Defender Paul Williams, who suffered relegation under Strachan at Coventry last season, added: "It's a question of us getting as many points as possible. Ipswich is an important game but then they all are at the moment.

"It's a clich but we've got 11 cup finals before the end of the season. When I was at Coventry we didn't really have a points target we just tried to get as many on the board as possible."