FORMER England international Jamie Carragher believes Saints will need “another seven or eight points” to ensure survival in the Premier League this season.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men are currently in a dismal run of eight defeats from nine league contests, their latest coming with a 1-0 loss against Everton on Monday.

The St Mary’s side are currently on 30 points in total, seven clear of 18th-placed Fulham with 12 games of the campaign remaining.

Working as a pundit for Sky Sports, Carragher outlined what he expected Saints would need to avoid slipping into the bottom three.

"I think if they get another seven or eight points, that will be enough," said the 43-year-old.

"The thing that I look at with Southampton, when I think of the teams at the bottom - and maybe there is someone I have forgotten - I think that they have got the best striker in Danny Ings and the best centre-back in Jannik Vestergaard.

"They are only two players, listen, but they have someone who, if chances fall to him, he will get goals and I think in Vestergaard they have got a really good centre-back."

He added: "I think that will be enough to get them over the line."