What's gone wrong at Southampton?

Of their last 15 matches in the Premier League, Mauricio Pellegrino's Saints have claimed just one victory. A record that embodies their lacklustre performances as of late that have left them in a rather precarious situation. 

With nine games to go, Southampton are sat anxiously in 17th and are deep in a relegation scrap. "Thinking about the next nine games, every single game will be massive," recognised Pellegrino in an interview with 'Sky Sports.' 

"We have to be focused on what we have to do on the pitch. How we attack, how we defend, how balanced is our mentality in good moments and difficult moments," he added.

The real question is, do the Saints know how to dig deep and battle for survival? 

Southampton returned to the Premier League in 2012 and quickly re-established themselves as a top 10 side. In fact, in the last four seasons, the Saints have not finished any lower than 8th, and even managed to secure back-to-back stints in the Europa League.

The bottom half is unfamiliar, foreign land and neither the team nor the manager appear to know how to navigate out of it. 

So, where did it all go wrong? 

A summer harvest of talents is bitterly expected on the South Coast. In previous campaigns, however, they've recovered well, rebolstering the squad and even improving on their league position.

This season, the club's failure to fill the Sadio Mane shaped hole left by Liverpool's prolific poaching has finally come back to bite them. With Charlie Austin injured, Shane Long underperforming and Manolo Gabbiadini just a shadow of the player he was when he burst onto the scene at St. Mary's, Southampton's striking options have been mediocre to say the least. 

This lead to a panicked decision from the manager to fork out a club-record £19.2 million to bring in Monaco bench-warmer Guido Carrillo. The Argentine has now played seven games in his new red and white jersey and is yet to find the net - Saints literally cannot buy a goal.

What does the future hold for Southampton?

For many Saints fans, the future looks bleak. Three points against Newcastle on Saturday is a must if they are to gather momentum as they enter the home stretch of the season. With summer fast approaching, the board are unlikely to sack Pellegrino before this woeful campaign reaches a close. Nevertheless, after such an underwhelming season, the Argentine will know his days are numbered.