The season is at the point where more or less a third of the fixtures have gone by and so it’s a good time to take stock.

The Christmas fixtures have always been a time when the league table shows who is likely to be chasing success or trying to avoid failure.

I have recently been conducting some interviews with American media in an ambassadorial role with Special Olympics, of which I am president in Great Britain, because the World Games, which are held every four years, are going back to America in the coming summer.

Inevitably, when being interviewed anywhere now, football, or soccer as it is referred to in America, crops up, as every Premier League game is shown on TV live every weekend.

And more and more Southampton are mentioned, and rightly so as the team has produced fantastic results and have maintained their second position for such a long time.

American soccer had a terrific boost in the last World Cup, when they actually went further than England and apparently one of their fixtures had the biggest TV audience for a sporting event ever – even more than baseball or American Football.

The questions I have been asked are along the lines of how have things improved after such an outgoing of star players who did so well last season.

Liverpool are, of course, one of the better known clubs in the USA and the supporters there are aware that the bulk of the outgoing players from St Mary’s turned up at Anfield, but have not had the same success as they had I was asked to explain that, but quickly guided the questions back to why my old club is doing so well.

Not only did they lose top players but the chairman and also the manager.

This usually would create a downward spiral but the opposite has happened.

Analysing the reasons why, I explained that whilst the initial L’s left – Lallana, Lambert, Lovren – the K’s took over with Koeman and Krueger turning up.

Mr Krueger, left, is well known in the USA as he was a successful coach to the Canadian ice hockey team in the Winter Olympics, whilst Ronald Koeman is naturally acknowledged because of his fantastic playing career.

Looking back, and with due respect to our last manager, not many people in England had heard of Mauricio Pochettino, who previous to joining Southampton had lost his job in Spain when his team had struggled.

The difference of course with the new regime is that it was a triumph to secure a manager of such substance.

To be fair, credit has to be given to Les Reed, who was receiving so much criticism when the door was left open and players left one after the other.

He was the main football man left in the club and he should be praised now for obtaining the services of Ronald Koeman.

Also, when you analyse the money factor, which is so important in modern day football, all sorts of figures have been produced with a total of apparently around £90m coming in.

Clubs like Liverpool, who lost their star player, Suarez, for a massive amount of money, have paid out more than they got in to try and keep their club at the top.

Southampton have only paid a percentage of the incoming money and they have got a team which has not only got the best defence in all four divisions but a particular new attacking style which has been brought in by the management. Being the international defender that Ronald Koeman, right, was, the back five look so solid, but the full backs are still encouraged to go forward, with the goal scored by Clyne against Aston Villa evidence of that.

Midfield players have been told to go forth and multiply as well, and there is nothing players like better than having the freedom to attack knowing their positions will be covered.

As ever in football, it’s the forwards who get the attention, they are the ones who usually score the goals that win the games, and full marks to the management structure for bringing in such exciting players.

As well as exciting young talent and I also think having senior players such as the club captain Kelvin Davis around helps.

He has served his time as a number one keeper very successfully, has accepted now he will be more or less a reserve, but because of his love of the club will be a manager’s dream in so far as he will be the perfect link between the manager’s office and the dressing room.

All in all, the more success on the field strengthens everything and consequently the first third of this season couldn’t have been better.

Now the big week is upon us with the visits of the two Manchester clubs and in between a trip to the Emirates to face Arsenal.

If the club can come through those fixtures, even just unbeaten, I think it will make everybody take us seriously in the quest for Champions League football.

I think credit is due to everyone concerned, including the supporters who have been fantastic and this, believe me, does help a new manager and players.

Proof if needed is the fact that 4,000 tickets have been snapped up for a long midweek trip to Sheffield for the upcoming League Cup quarter-final.

There is a really good feeling around the place as we come up to the Christmas holiday period.