SAINTS legend Terry Paine has identified Peter Crouch as the only man who can preserve the club's proud 27-year top flight status.

Crouch was injured in the warm-up at Fratton Park last Sunday and missed the 4-1 thrashing that cast fresh doubts over Saints' ability to produce a Great Escape act reminiscent of the ones routinely pulled off in the 1990s.

"That was a massive blow to Saints," said Paine, right.

"Our whole gameplan was probably based around getting the ball wide and getting it in for Crouch to touch on or hold up.

"If he had played against Portsmouth I would have fancied us to get a point.

"I would play him against Norwich even if he wasn't fully fit - he is that important to us.

"If he doesn't play then it's going to be hard to beat Norwich - and if we don't get the three points then it's probably bye bye.

"You can't blame Crouch and Kevin Phillips - they've done as well as they could have this season. You saw against Aston Villa in the first half how good their partnership is.

"Phillips will always score goals if he's playing off a big man. That's another reason why Crouch has to play against Norwich. I know some people laughed when Saints signed him but I've always rated him.People have been talking about him playing for England, and why not? Why should someone like Heskey get another recall?"

Paine, who has played more games for Saints than anyone else in the club's history, is also concerned that Harry Redknapp's squad lacks the "dogs" needed to stay up. "In your make-up you must have all the ingredients," he said.

"I don't know if we've got the players to get stuck in, to fight, to scrap, to destroy.

"A lot of the players like to put their foot on the ball and pass it, but you need more than that. Look at Crystal Palace - they have a great attitude, they are really getting stuck in.

"Players like Dodd, Benali and Marsden were all pieces of the Southampton jigsaw. There's been a lot of great footballers at Southampton but all of them have had dogs around them willing to battle, win the ball and give it to them.

"I'm not sure if we've got those sort of players."