Romeu sets points target to keep Saints up

SOUTHAMPTON midfielder Oriol Romeu reckons his side may need to get a result against the champions to stay in the Premier League.

Saints gave their survival hopes a major boost by beating south coast neighbours Bournemouth 2-1 on Saturday.

But Romeu believes Mark Hughes’ men could require as many as SEVEN points from their last three games – away at Everton and Swansea and at home to champions Manchester City on the last day – to beat the drop.

Romeu said: “We do our maths but I think we need to win two of our three games and draw the last one.

“That will make us safer because we don’t want to think of other results, we have to think of ourselves.

Objective

“It is difficult to tell how many points we will need. Hopefully two wins will do.

“The other teams have difficult games coming and it is not going to be easy for them. We are going to push as hard as possible and are going to chase points.”

The victory over Bournemouth was only Saints’ second in 22 games and their first since February.

Romeu said: “Winning makes you feel like you can win games, that we have fight enough to be there and to stay up.

“It’s good to see now we have got our objective to stay up closer. But there are still a lot of games to go and we are still not where want to be, so we need to win more games.

“We will enjoy it when it finishes and we get there. There is so much tension when you are playing and so much emotion it is difficult.

“Sometimes you have to make sure you are doing the right things because if you get too mentally obsessed, you are not performing.

“You need to find that balance and it is hard sometimes. You are studying results, goal difference, who our opponents are playing.”