Southampton news: Saints poised to end miserable winless run against West Brom
But do not for one moment think manager Mauricio Pellegrino’s heart and soul is not in trying to turn it around.
“I feel alive in this job,” said Pellegrino. “But who wants to be a loser? Nobody. But sometimes you have to lose. You smile better when you win.”
The Argentine is hoping he has a smile on his face and three more points on the board as his team face bottom-of-the-table West Brom, when Daniel Sturridge is set to make his home debut after his loan move from Liverpool this week.
Since replacing Claude Puel in the summer, Saints have won just four league games, only one more than Albion. As fans call for him to be axed, Pellegrino wants to be judged in May.
“At the end of the season we can analyse things better,” he said. “When you are not in the right moment you have to be careful with your analysis. The feeling people get about the manager, the players the club and the board is not the best.
“Football is something I have done all my life. I like the adrenalin, I like the pressure and like to talk to my players, even in difficult situations.