Russell Martin will choose to remain optimistic about Southampton's automatic promotion chances still, buoyed on potentially to make a last-ditch surge for the Championship top two spots off the back of their rivals slipping up.
The Saints will only break into the automatic positions again if Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Leeds United continue faltering, but it did help that the South Coast club managed to beat Watford 3-2 last match in dramatic fashion to keep striving to finish near the top of the summit.
Southampton look to be facing a losing battle when it comes to keeping Che Adams around at St. Mary's regardless of whether they taste promotion success or not, with a young gem waiting in the wings hungry to impress up top if the ex-Birmingham City man does indeed walk away from Martin's men this approaching summer.
Che Adams' future at Southampton
Southampton are in very real danger over losing Adams on a free transfer, a crushing potential outcome for the Saints considering Adams has bagged 15 goals in all competitions this season.
With Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers names that keep popping up as keen suitors for the Scotland international, alongside Leeds United entering into the fray as another interested party according to reports, this will be an interesting transfer saga to watch unfold when the action on the pitch in the second tier has finished.
No doubt Southampton would also flex their muscles in the transfer window to replace the gap left behind by Adams away from relying on youth players instantly succeeding, but they could do far worse than bedding in an academy gem here and there into senior action soon to attempt to unearth another star straight from their Academy.
Before any of that happens, however, Adams will be focused on doing his very best to help his side clinch promotion and return back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Southampton's teen Adams replacement
19-year-old Luke Pearce could well benefit from Adams exiting Southampton, with Martin showing during his short spell in charge of the Saints to date that he isn't afraid to play youngsters if needed.
In the FA Cup this season mainly, Martin has drafted in the likes of Tyler Dibling and Jayden Meghoma into the first-team spotlight who have previously starred in the U21 system on the South Coast before being given their big break.
Pearce could use this as inspiration to break into the senior side soon, having bagged six goals from nine Premier League 2 appearances this season which included a strike against Nottingham Forest last time out.
These strikes this campaign have taken the standout teenager's goal total for all youth sides at the Saints to an impressive 30 goals from 71 games, with Pearce now clamouring for his first-ever first-team chance subsequently.
A mixture of loan spells in the men's game have been up-and-down for the Irish attacker however, with Pearce only finding the back of the net once in a brief stint at Weston-Super-Mare earlier this season before returning to the familiar comforts of U21 football.
Still, current Saints loan star Taylor Harwood-Bellis – who is calmly excelling at Southampton on loan from Manchester City – used to be an untested youngster himself who was desperate for a chance to impress making the step-up to the men's game.
It won't be an immediate jump-up that is successful for Pearce, but Southampton need to have some plans in place in case Adams does leave very soon.