Well, I`ve never known anything quite like it. Last Saturday, I went to see Saints take on Walsall, who were a few places above us in the league and so a stern test was expected. Despite the Saddlers scoring first, Saints ran out 5-1 winners with a performance that defied belief. There was strength, pace and power in all departments; a strong back four, inventive midfield and unerring finishing in front of goal.

On Tuesday evening, an even sterner test was expected, as the visitors to St. Mary`s were Huddersfield Town, a form team lying in the play-off spots and unbeaten in eleven matches. Saints won 5-0 with a performance that was even better than the one which overcame Walsall. I noticed just how much the players were actually enjoying it; playing for each other and for the manager, Alan Pardew who, it seems, has been under some pressure from the club`s chief executive, Nicola Cortese, who seems to be demanding that Saints make it to the play-offs despite starting the season on minus ten points and not winning a game until about the seventh attempt. A tough cookie, our Nicola, but to be fair, he and owner Marcus Liebherr have supported Pardew with £millions invested in players and they expect a return on that investment. It`s a big ask though - we`re still 14 points off the play-off spots but if the team continues as it has done in the last two games, it might just be possible. Breath not being held though.

In the meantime, our friends down the M27 are deep into administration, in and out of the High Court and their stay in the Premiership looks doomed as they are expected to be clobbered by a nine points penalty which will surely secure their relegation. Such a shame, but the mismanagement of the club, the ducking and diving, the succession of `fit and proper` owners who raise mystery to an art form and the smoke and mirrors style of financial management all suggest that they might, at last, be about to receive their just desserts, courtesy of HMRC. So, whilst us Saints fans are over the moon, we still spare the odd thought for our rivals:-

I guess we`re just all heart. Just like they were when we were in administration ourselves.