Tonda Eckert has targeted a promotion challenge after being appointed Southampton's permanent head coach on a contract to 2027.
The Championship side have won four of their five games since the 32-year-old German took charge on an interim basis at the start of November.
That run has helped the team climb to 14th in the table, five points off the play-off places.
"I think that we've had a great start and now it is up to us to continue," said Eckert.
"We go all in; there is no other way. I don't shy away from being ambitious to say that we want to play for promotion, whatever that is going to look like in the end.