Ronald Koeman admits Southampton's chances of forcing their way back into Champions League contention are remote.
Saints have eight Premier League matches, starting with Saturday's trip to Everton, to overhaul the six-point gap on fourth-place Manchester United.
While Koeman insists qualifying for Europe remains possible, he knows it would take an extended winning run to propel the club into contention for the premier competition once more.
"Realistically the Champions League will be difficult for us because we have the distance to make up in points," Koeman said. "If we win the next two or three games we'll be fighting for it, but the Champions League is more for the big teams.
"We play eight finals now and the season so far has been fantastic. If we reach Europe, it will mean a special season for the club."
Everton occupy 13th place as their mixed campaign enters the final straight and Koeman believes they have suffered for their involvement in the Europa League.
"Everton are a tough test because they deserve to be in a higher position in the table. I like the way they play football and how Roberto Martinez is doing his job," he said.
"They have good overall quality in the squad, but it's been a difficult season for them and one of the reasons for that is that they have played in Europe on Thursdays.
"There's more risk of injury, you have to travel and the focus is more difficult after that great season they had last season.
"They won the last two games and are playing with more confidence. It will be a tough game, but a nice one because we play the same way.
"How we play is about winning, not about controlling and defending. That makes the game more open than normal."