Morgan Schneiderlin insists Saints' Champions League dream remains alive, but admits they must beat Crystal Palace tonight to avoid it dying.

The midfielder revealed how the players spoke with each other on Sunday about how they could improve their goalscoring form, and there is no doubt they need to rediscover their touch immediately if they are to regain a place in the top four.

“We could see that in December, January there's a lot of expectations on us, especially after we won against Man U,” said Schneiderlin.

“There's a lot of belief that we could, and we can, be in the top four, but we're not giving up on this.

“Me personally, all players, we still want to finish as high as possible, which means the top four. We know we have the capacity to do it.”

However, the France international is in no doubt that, with just one win and one goal in their last five league games, Saints must turn things around at St Mary's tonight.

“I think we have to win,” he said.

“We have to win not just because to be in the top four, but because for our confidence.

“If we don't win everyone's going to question ourselves - the fans, I think, because it's a must-win.

“We didn't win for three games at home, so now it's a must-win, no doubt about it.

“Now, in this period of time, we can't let more points slip up. We need to win those kind of games.”

If Saints are going to prevail, then they are going to have to start scoring again.

After three blanks in a row, and in the aftermath of Saturday's 1-0 defeat at West Brom, Schneiderlin explained that the players held an honest meeting about what they can do to change things.

“We had a good chat about it - why we don't score,” said the 25-year-old, who insisted the lack of goals is a problem the whole team must address and not just a few individual players.

“Some people say 'Well, maybe I don't make that run that I was making before,' so now we just say 'Ok, we're going to do it again.'

“Make that run. Even if it doesn't work for 89 minutes, maybe it's going to work in 91st minute.

“I see big teams playing, and I see big strikers or big players speaking about football - they all say 'I do ten runs in a game. Maybe for nine the ball doesn't come, but for the tenth I will score and I will have a good game'.”