Lets be positive and Saints could make big strides in the next few days.

In many respects the next week is crucial, OK i do tend to say this every week, but truth is we are in the middle of a big maelstrom and promotion could be gained by any one of ten teams, but I digress, in the next week we have three games and nine points up for grabs, gain them all and we will be in good shape, fail to gain at least seven and we will be looking at that automatic promotion spot starting to sail into the distance.

None of them will be easy and especially not the trip to Spotland where Rochdale have won six, drawn six and lost only two of their fourteen home games played so far, our problems have arisen from our failure to win early season games when we really should have done better, the Dale came to St Mary's and won back in September and deservedly so as we were a shambles, at that time we took only one point from three games and how we could now do with an extra point or two now.

But our away record is generally good and that holds out hope in that three of our next four games are on the road, winning six and drawing two we have gained as many points as any other team on our travels bar leaders Brighton, but now is the time to start imposing ourselves away ffrom home and we do have problems, the last two away games have yielded four points, but in both games at times we looked unstoppable and at other appalling and we have to stop this topsy turvy form and find conistency.

One plus point is the return to goalscoring form of Rickie Lambert, strikers score in bursts and SRL has finally started to fire on all cylinders again and hopefully will be wanting to score some more on his return to his old stomping ground.

If Im truthful Im still a little sceptical of Nigel Adkins team selections and substitutions, another fact is that Saints have come from behind to win games more times than any other team inthe division bar Colchester and although this shows our fighting qualities it also highlights that too often we put out the wrong starting 11 or seem to be misfiring tactically and that needs to change.

In some respects its another David V Goliath match as Rochdale look to prove that money isnt everything with many members of our squad alone costing more than the entire Dale team, if that doesnt highlight the gulf that should exist between the two sides, but as they proved at SMS its fighting spirit that often wins through and they are in this division through a period of getting things right both on and off the pitch whilst we are here through half a decade of underperformance, in truth we continue to underperform until we are in the top two and the season is eneded.

Its time for us to go to teams without fear, with the confidence of a team where every member is confident in the ability of his team mates, when you gat that errors start to disapear and sadly we have made too many errors this season.

But to end on a positive note there is no reason why Saints should not win at Rochdale and build a platform for the next week, one thing the match should not lack is goals Dale like us have scored 24 at home, but where we have conceded only 9 they have let in 17, we know we can score away from home, we average two a game, a ratio matched only by Charlton, our 18 condeded is also good, however we all know that too many of these have been needlessly conceded four in the last game at Peterborough for instance.

My predicction is a 3-1 Saints win and hopefully the start of a march to the top two.         

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