Saints are enjoying a two week break whilst their rivals are still battling in Cup competitions, but will this be a help for Saints or a hindrance.
The first reaction from most Saints supporters would probably be that this is a help, the Saints squad has time to get over injury issues as well as to re charge their batteries. what is there not to be pleased about, certainly with some managers calling for a mid winter break from the rigours of Premier League football, Saints and other teams already knocked out of the FA Cup get an extended break and there will be another one along in four weeks time.
When you look at Saints rivals for a top six position, they are all battling away on at least one other front, some of them more, looking into the top four, Manchester City who are seven points above us and are still catchable are still in three other competitions, not only do they have the Capital One Cup final next week, but they still have the FA Cup and Europe, even as we speak that is at least four more games than Saints have to play.
Likewise Manchester United only a point above us, they have had to play in Denmark on Thursday and then follow that up with a trip to Shrewsbury on Monday night in the FA Cup and then the return against Midtjylland only three days later on Thursday in the Europa League, whilst Saints have enjoyed a two week break, United have had to squeeze three extra games in.
Directly below us are West Ham United, they have only the FA Cup to distract them from the League and face a tough trip to Blackburn, if they progress then they face more games, they will not want a replay that is for sure.
Liverpool are trying to get a run together that will propel them up the League and they are only two points behind us, but they face distractions , they will have an extended break from the Premier League as they have a date at Wembley with Manchester City in the Capital One Cup, in between 14th February when they beat Aston Villa they will have faced Augsburg twice in the Europa League and the aforementioned cup final, before they host Manchester City at Anfield only three days after Wembley.
So if we look at it from a tiredness point of view then Saints have a definite advantage over their rivals for a European spot and this break will have done us the world of good.
But there is an alternative viewpoint and that is for a team like Saints who were on a roll, then you do not want a break, you want to keep rolling and gaining momentum, there is a danger that this break could work against Saints in this respect.
But overall Saints will probably benefit from the break they will hopefully return to action with their batteries re charged and raring to go.