SAINTS captain Jack Stephens insists they must make sure their recent bad run is only a "blip" to give themselves the best chance of promotion back to the Premier League. 

The 30 year old remains optimistic that Southampton can bounce back from their recent run of defeats but stressed the importance of doing it quickly. 

The defender was speaking to the Daily Echo upon his arrival at Staplewood on Monday before he had a chance to chat with his teammates.

Asked how the squad reacted to the loss against Millwall, their third defeat in four games, Stephens said: “The feeling was very low and disappointed in the changing room after the game.

"But we have got another game on Wednesday and then on Saturday - they come at you thick and fast. We need to shake this off quickly and I’m sure we will because we have done it in the past.

"We have been on a tough run with some bad results, but everyone knows what happened the last time we went on a difficult run.

“I definitely feel better now than I did after the last run of defeats where we lost four in a row. That was so early on in the season.

"We had started quite well and were thinking ‘OK we are going to be towards the top of the table.’ When the four defeats hit us, it really hit us in the face.

"To bounce back the way we did that time was incredible and it has got us right back into the promotion race. 

“The spell we have had in the last couple of weeks has been difficult, but we are still right in the mix with 12 games to go.

Daily Echo: Southampton's Jack Stephens during the Championship match between Southampton and Millwall at St Mary's Stadium. Photo by Stuart Martin.

"It’s important that we stay focused and confident in what we are doing. We have shown we can go on long runs of being unbeaten. We need to do that as quickly as we can to put ourselves in the best position.”

Stephens did not want to boil down Southampton's tricky run of form to just one isolated reason. Instead, he pointed out that the Championship can be a difficult league to navigate.

He continued: “I think this is just the nature of the league if I’m being honest. You look across the season - Leicester have lost two in a row and everyone thought they would crack on and set a record points total, which they still might do.

“At one point they were miles clear. Ipswich were 12 or 13 points clear of us and then they had a blip. Leeds had a tricky start.

"This league is very difficult to steamroll and not have any rough periods. I think it is perfectly normal, but we need to make sure that it is only a short blip and we get back on it as quickly as we can.”

Millwall beat Southampton by deploying a different game plan than Bristol City and Stoke City - something Stephens believes is an indication that it was a "freak result."

“I think that is the important thing. On Saturday it was a freak result if I’m being totally honest. Fair play to Millwall, they had a game plan, but they were sort of crossing their fingers and hoping that we didn’t take our chances.

“We didn’t create enough which is a disappointment on our side. On the whole, I think we played fairly well for the majority of the game.

"There are clearly some things that we need to work on. We are not quite in the same rhythm as we were a couple of weeks ago, but I don't think we have anything to worry about."

Saturday's defeat to Millwall saw Stephens used in a hybrid defender stroke midfielder position. The role was devised by Russell Martin in a bid to help Saints counteract the Lions' low block.

“I spoke to the manager the day before and he asked me how I felt about building up as a back three with Taylor and Jan deep," Stephens explained. 

"When we got into the final third he wanted me to step into midfield. I think due to the opposition playing so deep, we felt that we didn’t need the three centre-backs playing behind the ball.

"I feel like he wanted me to step in front along with Kyle Walker-Peters. We ran through it the day before and I was really happy with it.

"I felt that the role went quite well. I enjoyed playing in it. But, disappointingly, the result did not go how we wanted."

That was not the first time Stephens has been asked to play in a new role this season. The skipper has been used at right-back on occasion.

More recently, Stephens has also been used as a left-back, most notably against West Brom - where he tucked inside as a centre-back to help Southampton against the Baggies' two-man press.

“I have played in a number of positions before," Stephens added. "I’d like to think it is because the manager trusts me in any position on the pitch.

"I’m happy to play in any position - I want to play wherever I need to. Centre-half is obviously my priority but the two lads that have played there for the majority of the season have been unbelievable.

Daily Echo:

"It is very difficult to get into the team as a centre-half. I think there has been a few times where the manager has just wanted to get me into the team. I will always do my best, whatever position I am in.”

Southampton now switch their attention to a fifth-round FA Cup tie against Premier League leaders Liverpool.

Stephens admitted it is a sad reflection of recent form that many are suggesting that the FA Cup can be a welcome break from league action.

He also believes it is a great chance for Southampton to test themselves and show why they are a team that looked unbeatable just a few weeks ago.

He concluded: “It is an amazing opportunity. Whether you have played there before or not it’s an amazing opportunity to get into the quarter-final of the FA Cup.

"There will be 5,500 Saints fans going to the game who all care about the result. It is important that we go there with a good attitude and a willingness to put on a good performance for them.

"We need to make sure they go home proud of us. Hopefully, we can get through to the next round."