MAURICIO Pellegrino believes Saints’ level of “mental strength” will ultimately be the deciding factor in their fight for survival in the Premier League.

Saints have won once in 14 games in the top-flight and find themselves deep in a relegation scrap going into today’s FA Cup fifth-round tie at West Bromwich Albion.

Under-pressure boss Pellegrino admits he’s got a “big challenge” on his hands, but it’s one he’s facing head on with a crucial five-game run approaching in the Premier League after the cup clash this afternoon.

“I am focused. I feel focused and feel like I want to help my players to try and be better to find a different solution on and off the pitch to be better in this amazing challenge,” he said.

“I feel I’m trying to find different ways to approach mentally different moments and I feel the mental strength will be the most important thing come the end.

“Every single team will have ups and downs in the Premier League. Technically or tactically you can make some bad decisions or mistakes but mentality will be the most important thing.”

“My job is stressful because you need a lot of energy and you’ve got to be focused, but I am enjoying my job. But it’s a big challenge at this moment,” he added.

The 46-year-old St Mary’s chief has come under a lot of heat from the club’s supporters recently. Booing and chants of ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’ are a regular occurrence during matches.

Pellegrino accepts the criticism and insists it’s making him work harder to turn their troubled season around.

“Yes, for sure. I try to do my best every single day and my reference is myself. I try to be a better manager and person. I try to help my players every single day,” he said.

“It’s natural because it’s part of our lives,” he added, when asked about the flak he’s got from fans.

“If you are in this job, the opinions are about feelings. It’s really difficult to be really kind or really handsome when you don’t win.

“But when you win everybody is nice, everybody has blue eyes. Sometimes in our job we have to be conscious that the opinions are part of our life.

“Everybody have opinions about politicians or football, about everything and we have to accept that.

“Obviously we want to feel from the fans that we are doing a good job. It would be amazing. But sometimes we cannot, because the competition the opponent is better than you.

“When you are a part of this job you have to be conscious that on one side there is victory and on the other side there is a defeat.”