Nathan Jones says Southampton will be "far better" when the Premier League season resumes after the World Cup break.
Jones' first match in charge of the Saints following Ralph Hasenhuttl's sacking ended in a 3-1 defeat at Liverpool.
Southampton are 19th in the table, two points from safety.
"I know there's a lot of work to do but I also know I've got a lot of tools moving forward," said Jones.
The former Luton and Stoke boss was pleased with his side's initial response to falling 1-0 behind, but said there was a lot of hard work ahead if the Saints were to climb out of trouble.