Mauricio Pellegrino is grateful for the support Saints are getting from their fans, and conceded it is impossible to ask for more at this time.

Though the atmosphere was flat at St Mary’s in the defeat to Liverpool, fans are attempting to stay behind the team as best they can.

They did vent their frustrations at the manager, and aimed some half time and full time boos at the team, but given Saints’ second half performance and their position in the bottom three Pellegrino admits he is no position to ask for anything else.

He said: “It’s really difficult to ask for more support than this than when you are in this situation.

“I have to be really grateful with the fans because I think they respect the team and the players until the end.

“We are with the same feelings right now because we are the first responsible for this. I am the first responsible of this situation.

“We are part of the context. Southampton, we are together and everybody, but this is the competition and the competition is sometimes when you play a game like football sometimes you are in a difficult situation like now.”

Saints rallied after conceding an early goal to Liverpool, but showed little fight in the second period in the 2-0 loss.

“Obviously it was really tough to concede really soon, too early, and when you play against this side I said before you have to do everything almost perfect,” reflected Pellegrino.

“It was a pity to concede in this mistake and this counter attack.

“But after that I think we react well and play the best part of the game in the first half and create three clear chances.

“Liverpool is a team not used to conceding too much and obviously after the second goal for us it was really tough to bounce back, to come back in the game, and little by little our belief and confidence in the game was really down and this for me was the worst part of the game.”

With an FA Cup match at West Brom up next, Saints have two weeks to dwell on their position in the bottom three before a vital run of games that will likely determine their survival chances.

“You can see a lot of the other opponent but you have to think about yourself,” insisted Pellegrino.

“If you don’t play well it doesn’t matter what happens outside.

“We have to be focussed in the pitch and on our mentality and why we play one way in the second half than the other.

“I think Liverpool didn’t do too much to win this game too easy but they don’t need too many action to score goals.

“In one mistake and one amazing one-two they finish the game.”