A big big game for Saints , but a big big downer for Spurs can Saints break their recent hoodoo when they meet the North London Soccer Chickens.

Saints travel to White Hart Lane knowing that only a win is good enough to keep the pressure on both West Ham & Liverpool and in doing so achieve a Europa League qualification spot with perhaps a little help from our friends Manchester United.

The hope is that whilst Saints go into this game on the back of form which goes back two months and 8 games which has seen only one defeat and that in controversial fashion at Champions Leicester with 5 wins and 2 draws in the other games gaining 17 points in the process.

In the same period Spurs 8 games have produced 4 draws and 4 wins with 16 points gained.

That means that Saints can go into this game with confidence, indeed since the turn of the year Spurs have gained only 2 points more than Saints and should Saints beat them on Sunday then we will leap above them in the form table since the half way mark at the turn of the year.

This emphasises what a great second half of the year Saints have had and the work that Ronald Koeman and his squad have put in.

But the season is not finished yet and that means making sure that we don't rue some points thrown away in the first half of the season and indeed in the past couple of months .
One thing about Saints this season is that we have stepped up to the plate against the so called big clubs, we have beaten Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and now we need to complete the set and in doing so set up a grandstand finish to the season.

Ronald Koeman has got players coming into form at just the right time and with Charlie Austin back that will add firepower, in contrast to that Spurs have faltered in recent weeks and lost their composure, een before the visit to Chelsea it was noticeable, the draw against West Brom was the writing on the wall.

When things get tough you need a cool head and they didn't have it at Stamford Bridge with Mauricio Pochettino running on to the pitch, OK some would say he was acting as peacemaker, but that was not the effect that happened and it just emphasised the lack of discipline in the Spurs camp at the moment.

Saints need to capitalise on this situation and turn it to their advantage, they dd this back in January at Old Trafford by keeping things tight, first silencing the crowd and then turning it on it's own team before hitting them with the sucker punch.

More of the same on Sunday would be just what the Doctor ordered.

It will be a strange atmosphere in White Hart Lane for Spurs final home game of the season, initially it might be euphoric with Spurs fans acclaiming the fact that this has been their best tilt at the title for decades, but it could turn nasty if Spurs don't score earlyand dominate the game, their supporters then might see this season in a different light, one that is not about possibly their highest position in years, but one in which they havn't taken advantage of the strangest season possibly not just in the Premier League era but in 50 years or more, if Leicester took advantage then why couldn't Spurs.

Ronald Koeman might keep virtually the same side as last week, I would like to see Soares in for Martina but after that it is only a question of who partners Wanyama.

This is the only team that Ronald Koeman has not beaten in his Saints managerial career what a day it will be if he manages it on Sunday and if he does what a crackng end to the season could be in store.

Photo: Action Images

halftimeorange added 13:46 - May 6 Ill-disciplined or not, I can't see Pochettino allowing his remaining troops to roll over against, of all clubs, Southampton, particularly if he wants to demonstrate to Wanyama and/or Mane what a fabulous side they would be joining. Of course, Wanyama and/or Mane might want to demonstrate to Pochettino that Spurs need to buy their respective talents and go all out for the win. All in all it makes for an interesting game with the potential for loads of goals.If Wanyama does get booked, I hope it's for tapping Harry Kane's ankles.

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GeordieSaint added 14:17 - May 6 If Liverpool win the UEFA cup and qualify for the champions league, finish seventh and Man U win the FA cup, does that mean eighth place gets the Euro spot?
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