IT’S GOING to be rather hard to hold back expectations at Saints now.

In fact about the only thing that could do it would be a horrible defeat at home to Tranmere – something nobody wants to see.

Looking at the table, and the quality of squads on offer in League One most people have drawn a similar conclusion.

Leeds, Norwich, Charlton and Huddersfield will deservedly occupy four of the top six spots come the end of the campaign.

That leaves two play-off places up for grabs.

There are a whole host of clubs in and around those positions.

Truth be told, they are all much of a muchness.

There is not one outstanding side between them, not one for whom you could make a compelling case for them definitely finishing in one of the two places.

The only club in the rest of the division with sufficient quality to not only take one of those spots, but to challenge the leaders, is Saints.

Of course, normally you would qualify that by saying something like ‘all things being equal.’ That would mitigate the fact they started on minus ten points and through no real fault of their own had a slow start to the campaign.

Trouble is, even with ‘all things being equal’ they are making a compelling case for one of those two spots.

Up until now most sane followers of Saints have shied away from saying this.

Though everybody has had it in the back of their minds, few people have wanted to air it.

In recent weeks we have started to hear a few players speak the play-off words.

Well, why not?

Saints’ form has been terrific.

But though we knew the quality of Leeds, Charlton, Norwich and Huddersfield, and know results against those teams are going to be hard to get, what of the teams Saints would have to get above to finish in the play-offs?

Walsall were the perfect gauge for whether it was really possible.

Here was a team bang in form, on their own patch, sitting in seventh place.

It was the perfect test.

Saints didn’t just scrape through it, they flew through it.

My goodness, it’s hard to contain that expectation now.

Before we get too carried away we must remember there is virtually no margin for error for Saints between now and the end of the season.

This is still a lot to ask, in fact it’s a huge amount to ask.

It may prove to be too much.

But, hey, after the last few years Saints fans have had they deserve to get excited about something.

There’s nothing exciting about watching your side lose most weeks, about the heartache of relegation – twice – about your club going into administration.

Why shouldn’t they be allowed to dream?

But please retain a grip on reality because it will be no failure at all of Pardew or his players if they don’t make it.

In the final equation the fact that ‘all things were not equal’ might make it a bridge too far.

But enjoy it while it lasts – and give Pardew the credit he deserves for making it happen.

His methods are not rocket science but they are highly astute and something we have not seen at Saints for a little while.

He started by instilling discipline in the team, by getting them organised, by ensuring they are properly prepared.

They do the basics correctly, they are sufficiently hungry for success.

That means they go to places like Walsall and match them for effort, for workrate, for heart, for determination, for tackles, for sheer will to win.

Pardew has also made sure Saints have an attacking threat that is top quality at this level – actually too good for this level – in Lallana, Lambert and Connolly.

Once the battle has been won then your quality goes head-tohead with the opposition’s.

Only those top four could dream of competing with Saints on that level.

That was once more the story at Walsall.

After a pretty wretched first half hour – it was hard work on a heavy pitch – and in which Walsall came closest with a flicked header looping against the outside of the post, Saints put their foot to the floor.

And when they took control they looked as though they could score any number.

Saints took the lead on 32 minutes when the quality ringleader for the day, David Connolly, was played in down the right channel by a beautiful pass from Morgan Schneiderlin.

No sooner had he controlled into his path then he was ready to unleash his shot. There was no surprise to see his clinical finish arrow into the far bottom corner.

Dean Hammond slid the ball just wide before doubling Saints’ lead just six minutes later.

This time Connolly cut in from the right wing, his shot took a deflection and scuttled to the far post where Hammond arrived unmarked to slide the ball under the keeper from six yards out.

There ensued a siege on the Walsall goal where panic defending and kitchen sink throwing was the order of the day.

But at half time that little burst of quality from Saints had once again put them clear.

The second half saw Saints shut the game down.

It briefly came to life for a minute as first Connolly’s precision pass through the legs of a defender picked out Lambert who buried the chance in the bottom corner.

Juts a minute later it was 3-1 as Saints failed to clear a ball from their own box and it eventually broke kindly for Darren Byfield who sidefooted home.

That was about it for action though.

Saints’ attacking quality had won the day again, but it would not have done had it not been for the hard work of the rest of the team.

That, thanks to Pardew, is what Saints are – an excellently balanced team.

Perhaps, just perhaps, people are right to be expectant.