MAURICIO Pellegrino is “scared” about a lot of things but losing his job as Saints manager is not one of them and neither is relegation.

Saints are in a slump of form, having won just once in their last seven games. They are four points off the bottom three in the top-flight and in the midst of a very tricky run.

There has been growing disquiet at St Mary’s over Pellegrino’s leadership of the side and the direction the team are going under the 46-year-old.

Already five Premier League managers – Slaven Bilic, Frank De Boer, Ronald Koeman, Craig Shakespeare and Tony Pulis, have lost their jobs this term.

However, despite the impatient climate for top-flight bosses, Pellegrino is not worried for his job at St Mary's, yet.

“The most risk in football is to work in football, because you need results all the time,” he said.

“It’s a really nice job with a lot of situations that I know and I knew in my past as a player and as a manager, and it’s part of our situation.

“Everything can happen or can change in one game, two games. I’m not scared about my job; I’m scared about a lot of things, not about my job.”

There has been increasing worry that Saints might slip into a relegation scrap, considering the club's slide down the Premier League.

With five of the top six to face in the coming weeks, Saints are on no easy run either and could find themselves in trouble if they're not careful.

With that in mind, Sunday's match at St Mary's against struggling Everton is a must-win if they are to put some breathing space between them and the bottom three.

While there is reason to be concerned over the way Saints' campaign has gone so far, Pellegrino is calm about it.

When asked if he thought Saints are in a relegation battle, he said: "When we think about the end of the last season, between eighth and 17th, there were six points.

"We’re talking about 10 teams and six points. The Premier League is really tough, and a lot of teams are in similar situations.

"We have to fight for every single point. We are three points from eighth, or four points away - to be in the top of the table or the bottom.

"This is the Premier League, it’s amazing for this, because it’s really competitive, and also really difficult."

The Toffees have also struggled this term and currently sit a point below Saints in 16th place, having sacked former St Mary's chief boss Ronald Koeman last month.

They currently have David Unsworth in caretaker charge and are searching for a new manager.

Pellegrino knows that this match against a team low on confidence is an opportunity for Saints to pick themselves up and build some momentum.

"It will be really important, because we can change our face, increase our confidence in our job, our players, our beliefs, and the people who work around the team," he said.

"Everybody needs a good game, but the most important thing is trying to play the game that we deserve to win.

"We have to use the Burnley game, to continue in this way, because continuing to play this way will win us a lot of games."

He added: "Everton and us, obviously we both need points.

"But it will be really tough. Everton are a good side with players with quality.

"They are obviously changing players and trying to find different solutions.

"I think it will be a tough game. Like every single game the small detail will decide which way this game goes."