RALPH Hasenhuttl believes Saints need eight more wins if they are to maintain their Premier League status.

Hasenhuttl’s side dropped back into the relegation zone following their goalless draw at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.

But with a break in league action due to tomorrow’s FA Cup third round clash with Derby, Saints’ boss reflected on his first month in charge and set the team a target to hit.

“It was really a very interesting time for me. I tried to get a few on my team to know what every player can give me, and I can’t say that I’m more optimistic or less optimistic than I was in the beginning,” Hasenhuttl revealed.

“What I saw is that we had good footballing quality and the guys were very well organised when I came here.

“We know that we are still in the zone where we have to win games and we will need eight until the end.

“The last game against Chelsea showed that if we are fresh and have fresh players on the pitch, who have prepared for a whole week, we have the chance to put some problems on bigger teams.

“We still have 17 games, so with eight wins and 24 points, you can be sure that you will stay in the Premier League.

“That is a really tough challenge until the end of the season. It could have been that we are five points under the line, but now we are two points under the line. It will be very tough until the end.”

To boost his side’s chances of reaching their target of eight victories, Hasenhuttl will hope to dip into the transfer market to bolster the squad.

He has already highlighted areas where Saints need to improve and is hunting for players that suit his style of play.

Hasenhuttl added: “For my kind of football, for my philosophy in a few positions I need more speed and more running quality.

“Therefore, we will need new players. What we will do now at first is looking at the big squad getting a bit smaller. We will have a look at it getting a bit smaller. Then we will find someone who helps us to move our deficits away.

“We are open-minded. We know that in the winter period it is not so easy to find transfers that really help you.

“If they do something that must be also for the future. It doesn’t help us if we have the short term, we need to face the longer term, although we need it now. 

“It should be a player that is not too old, that fits perfectly in our philosophy and if it can be possible that we will do something, then yes.”