Cabrone

It could be all 4 teams neck and neck going into the last game with Saints involved in the battle of Elland Road. I'll personally love it, that's what we support the team for after all. Nothing risked, nothing gained. You might want to turn everything off on that day.

IMO Leicester are simply not out of this. It's a reasonable bet that Leeds will beat them and we'll win the next 2. What was an 11 point gap then becomes a 5 point gap. Then we play them. We can beat them and if we do then - assuming we match each other in points elsewhere - we are 2 points behind. They have been cruising all season (not least because of our dismal September run) but the pack is putting on a lot of pressure now. I want to see how they react with us snapping at their heels and no room to screw up. They have not felt that pressure yet. The odds are they will get automatic but the game is still afoot.

I want a draw and us to pull within 6 of Leicester with us going up there in a month. I still think they could be dragged into this, they just need a little wobble and that gap could be closed. 2 from 4 is much better than 1 from 3.

Back on track, confidence restored and we've shown we can go to a top side and win. The Bristol result may turn out to be the jolt that we needed. I felt we were cruising a bit before, now we've woken up. Time to turn the screw on Leeds and Ipswich.

Hopefully Tuesday was the rocket that the team needs to get back on track. Got a sneaking suspicion we might get a win up there.

The signs that were there against Huddersfield continued this evening. If we are serious about top 2 then we must get something at WBA.

Forget Ipswich at your peril. They have Millwall(a), Swansea(a), Rotherham(h) and Brum (a). If they get their mojo back now they will climb right back into this. Also looks like Millwall, Brum and Swansea will have a big say on how we come out of this patch of games. Huddersfield was a good sparring session for us, I've felt that it's been a plain sailing for too long. We needed that game to knock out any complacency. Hopefully we'll still be 2nd at the end of these but it's just too tight to call.

That was actually a perfect game for us, up against an oppo who was up for it but not quite good enough to overcome us. If the players were starting to believe the hype then today should have been a wake up call. Play like that first half against Leicester, Ipswich, Leeds or WBA and we'll be 3-0 down with no way back. Huddersfield have given us a jolt just in time for the big games coming up, take nothing for granted in this division. Bristol then WBA(a) in 6 days, now it gets real.

A bit like Rotherham, if we get a goal fairly early they'll crumble otherwise they'll park the bus, build a concrete wall behind it, top the wall with barbed wire and erect machine gun posts all along. I think we'll win though.

Looking at the table the autos are really reaching a boil now. Leicester - on the surface they seem uncatchable with an 11 point lead over us but we have a game in hand and have to play them yet. It's not crazy to suggest that we could gain 6 on them reducing their lead to 5 which is 2 screw ups from us catching them. Odds are they will finish 1st but I haven't given up catching them yet. Also Leeds have to play them at Elland Road so Leicester are not out of this quite yet. Ipswich - I still would not underestimate them despite their bad run over the last 1-2 months. They have the quality to get back on track, have made some good signings and may yet be a real problem, esp as we have to go to Portman Road. Their next few games are West Brom (h), Millwall (a) and Swansea (a). The first will be tough and the other 2 are potential banana skins. These games may be make or break for them but if they get through with 7-9 points they are still in it. Leeds - IMO our biggest threat. Whilst our extra point + game in hand sounds good that final game at Elland road negates 3 of those points. All Leeds need to do is score 1 more point than us till that game and we may well be in a live decider (assuming Leicester\Ipswich are clear by then). Throw in the fact that we have some tough fixtures coming up and this scenario looks quite possible. GD could make a decisive difference but Leeds just need to stay within 5-6 goals of us (and visa versa) to make it competitive - which, IMO seems quite possible. As for Leeds overtaking us to the extent that the final game becomes a dead rubber they'd need to be at least 4 points ahead of us which means they'd have to put at least 5 points on us over the next 17 games. With our current form - even with our tough fixtures - I think the odds are against. That said, Leeds are capable of going on the kind of run that we are now on which would make things really tight. Saints - our big 4 crunch games are West Brom(a) 16 Feb, Leicester(a) 16 Mar, Ipswich (a) 1 Apr and Leeds (a) 4 May. These are the games that will decide it for us. IMO if we could get 5-6 points from the first 3 we might just be able to turn the the last one into a dead rubber. It's still far too tight to call though. Hold on to your hats because I think this is going to be a wild ride.

Good to finally break into the automatic positions but a long way to go yet. It's all about handling the pressure but we are looking good at the moment. Brooks looks like a good acquisition.

If we can get an early goal and disrupt them hopefully it will be routine but if we don't they'll sit back and it could get a bit hairy. Got to take those chances when they come. Also Leeds may well be 2 points ahead of us going into this game albeit having played 2 more. They are all pressure games now.

If what this Bournemouth fan thinks is anything to go by then he sounds good.

Stevie Moran showing Alan Biley how it's done, the pitch looked like a wet sponge that afternoon. I think we'll nick this one 2-1 Saints.

Anyone in the top 4 is a small wobble away from either being sucked in or being thrown out of the auto race. It's a highwire act. We had our meltdown 4 months ago and we've only just managed to get back into it. It's all about handling the pressure now. If I was a Leicester fan despite the healthy lead I'd be looking slightly nervously over my shoulder at our 21 game run. They have been on cruise control all season but now the gap is not overwhelming and the chasing pack is gaining. Obviously I'd rather be in their position, all we can do is keep on applying pressure and see if it gets to them. It's not impossible. I'm really enjoying this season, top of the champ is a knife fight to the death. We love a bit of jepardy.

Happy with that, I want Leicester pulled into the mix, 2 from 4 is much better than 1 from 3. I hope their nerves are jangling, another 3 poor results and we could be on them. It's all about who holds their nerve now.

Great 3 points and turns the screw on the teams around us. Even the Leicester fans are starting to notice us in their rear view now. Leicester\Ipswich IMO is going to be a draw so we'll still be 3rd by only 1 point come the end of Monday. How long can we keep this run going?

I think this is going to be a fairly tight 2-1 to us. Need to be switched on for the full 90, no silly goals conceded in that last minutes. Leicester v Ipswich feels like a draw to me. Saints to be 1 point behind Ipswich on Monday evening.

Another great win. The 2nd half of this season is shaping up to be one hell of a fight. The games at the King Power, Portman Road and Elland Road just get bigger and bigger.

Obviously the league is top priority but I think most fans still enjoy a good cup run plus it keeps the confidence and winning streak going. Looking forward to round 4. So nice to see wins, what a difference this season is to the last 2.

This is one of those games that is impossible to predict, it really could go anywhere. Hopefully it lands on our side.

It was a graceless response from RM, we don't need to know your politics just show some manners towards a guest who is a genuine Saints fan. BTW I'd say the same about any other politician regardless of their party. Besides which, the amount of money Sunak has he could be a future owner. The guy is loaded.

Everyone is talking about a decent goalscorer but i'd be shopping for a better keeper too. It's such an important position and his brain farts may cost us badly in the crunch games as we get to the sharp end of the season.

Got a feeling this is going to be one of those hard fought wins where we just get it over the line. Plymouth will park the bus Infront of a brick wall, we may have to be patient. I also think QPR can get a point from Ipswich and we go into 2024 just 3 points behind them.

Unbeaten in 16, 22 games left and 4 points behind the Tractor boys. We are now breathing down their necks and look to be getting stronger and stronger. Now we will see what they are made of in the 2nd half of the season. This is shaping up to be a hell of a fight for that auto spot.