Mark Wotte has revealed that ability must come behind a winning mentality if Saints are to escape relegation.

The St Mary’s head coach revealed his coaching philosophy ahead of tomorrow’s game at second placed Birmingham.

Wotte said: “The team is maturing and realising that everybody has to be 100 per cent in his mentality and then ability is the key factor.

“The other way around never works.”

Wotte told his players before their midweek win at Ipswich ‘only average players think you can do without 100 per cent effort.’ The magnificent victory at Portman Road made it three victories on the bounce for Saints and has kept them well in the hunt for Championship survival.

One of Wotte’s main tasks at the moment is keep the players’ feet on the ground and stop them thinking they are safe.

Wotte has always maintained he believes in the quality of his squad but is challenging them to continue to match that with 100 per cent effort against Birmingham at St Andrew’s tomorrow and for the rest of the season.

He said: “I wrote a line down when I was doing my pre-match talk for Ipswich that said ‘only average players think you can do without 100 per cent effort.’ “Mentality is also quality.

“That’s what I like about players like Steven Gerrard or Frank Lampard – they are not only good players but they have the desire to win a game even in the last minute.

Wotte added: “The team is maturing and realising that everybody has to be 100 per cent in his mentality and then ability is the key factor.

“The other way around never works – if you have very good players without the mentality you will never win anything.”

Full story and full match preview in today’s Daily Echo