Mark Hughes tells Southampton stars to rise to survival challenge

The Welshman, 54, has been appointed until the end of the season to replace the sacked Mauricio Pellegrino and been tasked with preserving the club's Premier League status

Mark Hughes had been out of work for only 67 days following his dismissal by Stoke (Getty)

Mark Hughes has begun his reign as Southampton manager by demanding his under-achieving players raise their standards to the level needed to escape relegation.

The Welshman, 54, has been appointed until the end of the season to replace the sacked Mauricio Pellegrino and been tasked with preserving the club's Premier League status and winning the FA Cup.

Hughes had been out of work for only 67 days following his dismissal by struggling Stoke, who remain two places below Southampton in 19th.

On Sunday he oversees his first fixture in the FA Cup quarter-final at Wigan, but after that he will only have eight matches in the league to secure survival.

That run includes games against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City, and Hughes said: "Sometimes you have to step on people's toes and we are in that situation.

"When you've got the luxury of a little bit more time you can build relationships and that takes time.

"We've got no time to wait. We have eight weeks and we have to get on with it. If we upset people along the way they will have to accept it.

"It's about the end game and making sure we are successful when we look back on this period.

"There's a willingness in the two days we have been here, a real energy to the club which I've liked and everybody is pushing in the right direction, but we have to keep that going by winning football matches and that is the hard bit.

"I work in a certain way and with certain levels of training intensity I am looking for. I have seen that in the last two days: the levels that I demand I have seen.

Hughes replaces Mauricio Pellegrino who failed to lift Southampton out of their malaise (Getty)

"It's fair to say the feedback from people in and around the club is that maybe that intensity hasn't been there before but for me it's the norm because that's the level I work at.

"Maybe that can help the guys given the games we have got ahead of us.

"The quality we have here: we have a good group, good players technically, and with only a few omissions we have a healthy squad which will be important for us from now until the end of the season.

"We are looking solely to the end of the season and we want to be a Premier League club and win the FA Cup."

Southampton are on a run of only one win in their last 17 Premier League games, and they remain without the injured Charlie Austin and Steven Davis.

Hughes said: "I have always used cup runs as a real positive. They can help your form.

"If you are struggling and you have a good result and you progress, you have that to look forward to and that confidence can lead into your league form as well.

"I don't see a game against Wigan in a quarter-final as a hindrance. I see it as a real positive and one we can use to good effect."

PA