Suddenly just when we really need a big performance, we are hi with injuries and suspensions, a heavy defeat up at Wembley could be the first nail in Mauricio Pellegrino's coffin.
Saints are now starting to pay the price for a series of puzzling team selections and tactical decisions meaning that we almost have to write off the next few games and hope that those below us can't drag us into a relegation fight.
Pellegrino is likely to be without Soares, Bertrand and Austin through injury and suspensio,, plus Van Dijk with what is now his trademark sulking.
The frightening thing is that we have not played badly in recent games but in each one given soft goals away that has cost us dearly, we cannot keep giving the opposition free headers in front of goal etc.
Thats bad enough when you are playing Huddersfield, but if we can't get away with it against the Yorkshire side, how are we supposed to against the likes of Harry Kane who don't need free headers to score at the best of time.
Quite bluntly there can't be a Saints fan out there who is looking forward to the next two games, we are a good side, but we are poorly led.
Let's get Boxing Day out of the way and hope that the board get shot of Van Dijk quickly and reinvest the money quickly in another quality central defender.
Xmas time is a time for giving, we have already shown that we are a very generous host against Huddersfield, we have to dig in and toughen up, we will soon find out whether the players are ready to play for the manager and save his job, or will these be his final games.