MAURICIO Pellegrino insists Saints are playing the right way and wants his side to continue in the same vein at Liverpool on Saturday.

The Argentine has come under scrutiny for failing to deliver the attacking football that was promised on his arrival at St Mary's in the summer.

Saints are struggling for momentum too, having picked up just five points from their last six games in the Premier League. They most recently lost to Burnley 1-0 in front of their own frustrated support.

However, Pellegrino has seen enough positives in their recent performances to believe they are heading in the right direction, and doesn't see the need for changes at Anfield.

"I'd like to continue how we're performing in recent games," he said about the game against Jurgen Klopp's side.

"In 25 minutes against Burnley we played well but I know it will be difficult and tough – we are playing a good side.

"But may be we'll feel comfortable because I imagine Liverpool will attack and we are a team that feels comfortable when we have the ball.

"I imagine it will be an up and down game. Liverpool are good in the counter-attack but I'd imagine it's a good possibility to see how we are."

Pellegrino will have spent the international break analysing and plotting Saints' path through their tricky run ahead.

Saints play all of the big six in the next ten games and that punishing run will almost certainly be huge in the context of their season.

"Sometimes it's good to have a break to think about things and do analysis," he said.

"But we've had 50 per cent of the squad abroad playing international games. That's not easy.

"Obviously, we have to adapt in this situation. If you want to bring in good players most of them are internationals."

The tough run-in starts at Liverpool on Saturday, where Pellegrino had a spell as a player and coach under Rafael Benitez.

The 46-year-old signed a six-month contract with the Reds in January 2005 and played 13 times for the club before being released at the end of the campaign.

He later spent two years there as a first-team coach under Benitez before moving to Inter Milan with the now Newcastle manager in 2010.

"It's a special place for me," he said about Anfield. "I will always have good memories of this club as a player and as a coach.

"I live in some nice moments, some wonderful moments in my life but in this case I would like to win."