8:00am Tuesday 5th January 2010
By Adam Leitch
Saints are hoping to improve their record against League One’s top teams to keep their play-off dreams alive – starting with Saturday’s crunch clash with Huddersfield.
Alan Pardew has brought the feelgood factor back to the city as he continues to inspire good results from his side.
But if they are to reach the top six come the end of the campaign they desperately need to do better against the teams above them.
Saints have proved adept at knocking over the division’s lower teams to keep themselves in the hunt.
But if they are to leapfrog up the table they need to start winning against the teams above them, including those in the current top six.
So far this season, Saints have faced teams from the current top six on seven occasions – and have failed to notch a single win, losing four times and drawing three.
Contrast that with their record against the bottom six where they have played six, won three, drawn two and lost just once. While you would expect Saints to have a better record against the bottom sides compared to the top ones, having started the season on minus ten they need to beat those sides above them if they have serious ambitions for a play-off place this campaign.
The good news for Saints is that of the five matches they have remaining against the top six teams this season, four are at home – against Leeds, Charlton, Swindon and Huddersfield, who visit St Mary’s on Saturday. Norwich are the only current top six team Saints have to face away.
Saints’ differing fortunes against the division’s top and bottom sides is underlined even further when you look at their record against the top ten and the bottom ten.
Saints have taken a very impressive 21 points in ten games against League One’s bottom ten, winning six, drawing three and losing just one.
But, in ten matches against the top ten in the league, Saints have won just twice, drawn four times and lost on five occasions netting a total of ten points.
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