Whilst last week was all about European games and the Champions League and what it meant to clubs having extra fixtures, this week it’s all about no club games because of internationals.

I should say it’s no good complaining about if you’re a manager about European matches because during the whole of the league season that’s what you’re trying to achieve.

Some people might think an international break brings more relief to managers who haven’t got a league game, in some cases, such as Saints, for 16 days since their last one.

Believe me it is possibly more nail biting, particularly for managers whose teams are nearer the top of the league.

One of the reasons they are in that position is that they have more good players and internationals.

They don’t just play for the home countries anymore these days as only just over 20 per cent of players in the Premier League qualify for the England team, which means there are so many other nations represented in our football.

Southampton, in fact, have 15 players away and Ronald Koeman will not be able to relax until every one of them gets back safe and sound.

In one respect not having a Saturday game next week gives Saints another day or two to get over not just the minor injuries that people may have picked up whilst playing for their countries but also the travelling involved.

John Cross, who last week presented us with an interesting puzzle about ex-Saints players who had won things in Europe at various other clubs before joining us, added some more facts that I must say surprised me a little. I suppose as we get older memories seem to go a bit.

Even I didn’t remember that in 1982 there were six ex-England captains in our squad at the same time, namely Mick Channon, who was at the club when I arrived, and five others I signed in Alan Ball, Kevin Keegan, Peter Shilton, Dave Watson and Mick Mills.

I realise now when my hair started to go grey.

In addition, three others connected with the club had at some stage worn that famous armband for England – Alf Ramsay before any of them and also two of the youngsters who came through the ranks at the club in Mark Wright and Alan Shearer.

I have often said there is no greater satisfaction for a manager than to sign a youngster at school age, see him progress to be given an apprenticeship and then a professional contract, eventually to make the first team. But to then play for his country means so much, not just to the player and his family but to the staff who have nurtured these talents.

I am not sure thinking about it whether this sort of thing can happen anymore as not every club is like Southampton where Ted Bates, bless him, was manager for 18 years and myself for 12.

Managers don’t last as long anymore and obviously there is a long period for a schoolboy to go through the ranks to achieve international level.

Another interesting fact coming out from Mr Cross, who I think should join up with the Hagiology group at the club, is that he thinks Southampton are the only club to have links to managers of all the four home countries.

England naturally with the World Cup winning Alf Ramsay and then later Glenn Hoddle and Kevin Keegan.

There are two with Scotland in George Burley and current manager Gordon Strachan.

Mark Hughes managed Wales while he was still a Saints player.

I took the England B and under-21s and managed Northern Ireland.

The reality of being a manager now and having to get results is reflected again with yet another getting sacked in the last week with Uwe Rosler leaving Wigan.

The pressure to get results is greater than ever and probably the days of long service that the likes of Ted, myself, Fergie, Arsene Weneger etc have achieved are long gone.

Whilst we may all be looking forward to the international games in the next few days I am not so sure that every league manager will be as it’s the normal weekend results which matter in the long run.

Incidentally, anybody, particularly the foreign managers, who might be thinking ‘at least England’s game with Scotland is only a friendly,’ can forget it.

It is the one occasion where even Rangers and Celtic supporters get together to take on their oldest and most bitter rivals, so be prepared for a red hot occasion, which is even more special now as it is not held very often.

I personally enjoyed the home internationals.

The reason for stopping them, of course, was that countries like Northern Ireland and Wales were not able to turn out strong enough teams.

However, because of the number of foreign players around now I think the home international games will be more even than ever, particularly the England v Scotland fixtures.

I think most supporters would enjoy seeing this if it was held annually again.