Southampton slipped back into the Premier League relegation zone on Sunday following a 2-0 defeat against Liverpool at St Mary's and because of most of the other results elsewhere going against them, increasing the pressure on manager Mauricio Pellegrino.

The 3-2 win against West Bromwich Albion the previous weekend had moved Saints out of the bottom three and provided the under-fire Argentine with some much-needed respite, but while not too many of the south coast outfit's fans would have been expecting too much against Jurgen Klopp's side, it was more the manner of the loss that will concern them, and probably the board too.

The reverse against the Reds left them on 26 points with 11 games left to play, and with the likes of Huddersfield, Newcastle United and Swansea City all winning over the weekend it is starting to look as though it could possibly take 40 points to stay in the division.

Southampton have a crucial run of five top flight fixtures against Burnley, Stoke City, Newcastle United, Swansea City and West Ham United – four of which are away – coming up, and now may be time to relieve Pellegrino of his duties and bring in a new man who can make a difference.

Here are three managers that could replace Pellegrino now and keep Saints up…

Marco Silva

It is only just over a year since Hull City took a punt on Silva to save them from relegation from the Premier League, and the Portuguese boss came pretty close to doing so before eventually falling just short.

The 40-year-old was given the Watford job during the summer and he quickly gave the Hornets an identity and playing style – something Southampton don't have under Pellegrino – and you get the feeling that he could get the attacking players firing more than the Argentine manager is right now.

If Saints could bring him in until the end of the season it really should be a no-brainer for the club, as Silva has shown that he has the ability to get the results they need and produce the performances that will get the fans on side.

Mark Hughes

Hughes' reign as Stoke City manager came to an end last month following a disappointing season, but while things may have gone stale for him at the Britannia Stadium, it shouldn't put Southampton off.

The Welshman has proven over the years that he has the experience and quality to put points on the board on a consistent basis at this level, and there is no doubt that he could make a difference at St Mary's over the course of the rest of the season.

Pellegrino looks out of his depth right now, and Hughes could bring a fresh impetus to the club and set the team up to get the results that they need to escape relegation.

Slaven Bilic

Bilic was sacked by West Ham in October following a hugely disappointing start to the campaign, and while he failed to turn things around for West Ham you get the feeling he was working in tough circumstances under the board.

The Croatian turned down the chance to talk to West Bromwich Albion about their vacant managerial role back in November because he wanted a break from the game, but he could be tempted by the opportunity to manage Southampton until the end of the season.

The 49-year-old would be confident that he could lead the south coast outfit to survival, and it would give him the chance to potentially reignite his Premier League managerial career as a result.

Would you want any of these three, Saints fans? Let us know below.