Southampton manager Ronald Koeman says his side has a very limited chance of qualifying for the Champions League this season.
The Saints started the 2014/15 campaign brilliantly which saw them move up to second on the table at one point but they have dropped off the pace since and are now down in fifth following three-straight losses.
Some pundits were suggesting that Southampton were in good enough form to push for a top-four finish but Koeman was more realistic when analyzing the south coast club's prospects.
"The Europa League now has to be the target. We dream of finishing higher but we have to be realistic and that is now what we need to achieve this season," said the Dutchman who is in his first season at St Mary's.
"If we want to finish higher we have to learn quickly because we lost all three of the games against the big clubs.
"We played well against Arsenal and Manchester United. We created good chances but we rarely scored and then made unusual mistakes.
"You can't make those errors against the big clubs because you will be punished, they have the players to exploit the mistakes. They have the experience.
"I know we had a lot of injuries but so did they. But it was easier for them to cope as they have bigger squads with international players.
"I am in no doubt that we can beat the big teams because we played so well against Manchester United.
"We just need to grow and learn from the defeats so that we can keep stepping up on our performances. But we also have to be realistic."
Koeman's Southampton next meet second-bottom Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday.
