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Mark Hughes is facing the sack as Southampton manager if they fail to win Saturday's home match against Watford .

Sunday's 6-1 thrashing away to champions Manchester City means Saints still have just one league victory this season — against Crystal Palace on September 1st — and have managed to score only once from open play in the top flight since the middle of that month.

Some supporters are fed up with the brand of football served up by ex-Southampton striker Hughes, who saved them from the drop last season after replacing Mauricio Pellegrini in March — two months on from his own sacking by relegation-bound Premier League rivals Stoke.

(Image: Getty)

The board are understood to be ready to act if there is anything less than victory at the weekend.

Top of the list of potential replacements are Sam Allardyce and David Moyes, while a popular choice among the supporters is former Saints manager Gordon Strachan.

Leonardo Jardim, recently ditched by Monaco, had been high on the board’s wish-list but the Portuguese now looks set for a move to the Chinese Super League, with Beijing Guoan a possibility.

Sunday’s embarrassment at the Etihad left Saints just two points above the relegation zone.

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Southampton may have ended their barren run in front of goal with Danny Ings' penalty on the half-hour, but it never felt like changing the game as City had already scored three times in the game's first 18 minutes.

"That is the game gone right from the outset," said Hughes, a former Blues boss. "Any other work you have prepared and the game plan you want to implement goes out the window.

"It is difficult when you are down. You can't overcommit because Man City have the ability to run over the top of you and it gets even more embarrassing. Six-one is not a result we take any pride in but the fact we were trying to create chances when the game was gone shows the character was good."