Mauricio Pellegrino is desperate for Saints to start picking up the points he believes they deserve to kick-start their season.

After what Pellegrino feels were harsh defeats to Manchester United and Stoke before the latest international break, Saints are preparing to take on Newcastle at St Mary’s to kick-off a vital run of fixtures.

With home matches against the Magpies, West Brom and Burnley, as well as a trip to Brighton to come before the next international break, Pellegrino is all too aware that Saints need points on the board now if they are to make anything of their league campaign.

He said: “The game on Sunday is really important for us and we have to start with the first one.

“It is true that every single game are important, also because we play in these four games, three games at home.

“I think that we have to push ourselves to get these points that we deserve in other games, and to transform goals into points with our performance.

“Obviously I would like to win as much as we can, but the position right now doesn’t mean anything, because the conclusion has to be at the end, and the conclusion is at the end.

“Obviously we can talk about performance, how we are, how we have to improve, but I think we deserve to get a couple more points normally.

“For sure coming are important games.”

The big challenge for Saints remains scoring goals.

Having netted just twice in their last six matches, a problem carried over from last season, and facing opposition who are likely to defend deep and offer up little space, Saints need to find an answer.

“I think we have to keep going in the positive thing because we are dominating them, we are controlling the game, we are working to coordinate better movement in wide areas to arrive with more determination,” reflected Pellegrino.

“There could be a good possibility this Sunday to show in this opportunity to be better than last game.”

He added: “I think that we are one of the teams that arrive more in the Premier League in the final third with crosses and penetrating, and this is difficult.

“To transform these stats to goals is something that is not easy.

“I think we have to improve a lot of things and not just score goals. The other we concede set plays and soft goal at the end.

“All of us have to improve.”