ORIOL Romeu wants disillusioned Saints supporters to swallow their indignation for now and rally behind the players during the final throes of their Premier League survival bid.
After just five wins in 34 league matches, the disquiet from fans across social media, internet forums and from the stands at the club’s horrific campaign, is widespread.
Saints’ next crucial game is against south coast neighbours AFC Bournemouth on Saturday at St Mary’s, as Mark Hughes’ men try to escape the clutches of the relegation zone in their final four matches.
The situation is now desperate, with Saints four points adrift of 17th-placed Swansea, and midfielder Romeu is aware that, in this ‘do or die’ situation, the fans have big role to play.
The Spaniard said: “It’s the most important game of the season. Every one of them is important for us to stay up. We want to give everything. We don’t want to look to the past and say we’ve left something in the dressing room.
“It’s important that we get that connection between us and the fans, so we can push onto together and get the points we need.”
The 26-year-old insists that, while they have still not won in the league since early February, Saints are feeling strong under Hughes, who has led the team to three defeats and a draw in the league since replacing Mauricio Pellegrino in mid-March.
In the last four games in all competitions, Hughes has started to deploy five defenders to give Saints a more solid base.
“We are trying to get more solid, to be more consistent,” Romeu said. “We were conceding too many goals before, that’s the why the manager changed it so we had more defenders.
“It’s been working quite well. We conceded goals against Arsenal and Chelsea but we were competing against them, having a better feeling.
“The last league game we had a clean sheet.
“We’re feeling stronger and good in that way but any formation will do and it’s more important our heads in the game and we give 100 per cent because that’s what will give us the win.”
He continued: “We need to take something, always. We have to look on the positive side and although it hasn’t been easy or nice to lose games we’ve been there and been competing.
“Now we’ve got to go and give everything in the last four games. It’s going to be so important for us, we want to stay up and we won’t give up until everything is over.”
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