Nigel Pearson has hinted that his task to keep Southampton in the Championship will be tough after his new side lost 2-0 at home to Plymouth Argyle.

Pearson, who only took over the reigns at St Mary's on Monday, saw his side slip to their eighth home league defeat of the season.

"I am under no illusions about what a hard job it is going to be [to keep Saints in the Championship]," he said.

"I saw good things at some points in the game today but there are lots of others that we have to work on.

"Myself and the players are going to have to work hard out on the training ground to get where we all want the club to be.

"I learnt some things about the players tonight. Some things I liked and some things I didn't."

Argyle manager and former Saints boss Paul Sturrock said he believes his opponents have got enough good players to not be sucked into the relegation battle.

"I have a lot of happy memories at the club and I left for reasons that I don't want to go into now," he commented.

"When you look at their team, they have some good players who should be doing better than they are at the moment and I am sure they will get it right and start moving up the table.

"They have too many good players to go down I think."

Sturrock hailed his battlers for the win, secured with two goals in three first-half minutes.

"My team might be unfashionable but we are just outside the play-offs," he added.

"I look at my players and they are exactly the sort of people you would want on your side in the trenches."

Sporting Life / Eurosport