Saints are about to head into a two week five game period which will go a long way to shaping their season.

Saints start a busy fortnight on Sunday when they host Burnley followed by a trip in the Europa League to Inter Milan, a visit to Manchester City, a League cup game against Sunderland and end it by hosting Chelsea in the Premier League at St Mary's.

It will be a big test for Clause Puel and his men and will stretch the squad to the limits, but a careful policy of reinvestment in the squad after player sales means we go into the period with a squad of players that not only has the quality, but has quantity as well to spread the workload.

By the end of the season Saints will know the direction they are going in three of the four competitions they are competing in this season.

In the Premier League it will be a tough time, it is essential that we beat Burnley in the first of the three Premier fixtures of the period as to be blunt it will be a tough ask to get much from the other two.

Indeed if we can come through this three game period with 4 points it will be a good accomplishment, anything more than that will be a success, if we do take more it bodes very well for the season going forward.

Thursday's visit to Inter Milan will mark the half way point in the group stage, if we can go to Italy and win then we will be very close to qualifying, indeed beating Inter would virtually eliminate them and would probably put us just one win away from qualification.

Even a draw would be good though and leave us in a good position to kick on in the last three games and with two of them at home it would give us a great opportunity to not only qualify but win the group.

As in any good European campaign though, the trick is not to lose away and then do the business at home, Saints play in a very continental way now, so I would expect us to be looking to get the game under control and then push on.

The Sunderland game in the league cup is perhaps the most under looked of the next two weeks, but the reality is that this competition offers us the greatest hope of not only glory but qualification for next years Europa League and having had a good taste of it this year I for one want more next season.

If we beat Sunderland then we will be in the last eight and with at least two of the big six clubs guaranteed to exit the competition and Chelsea facing a tough tie at West Ham, only Arsenal look like they are guaranteed a spot in the next round with a trip to Reading.

A win against the Black Cats followed by a good home draw in the quarter finals could give us a great chance of a semi final appearance and a sniff of a Wembley final that is long overdue.

So a vital two weeks for Saints, a tough one in terms of both the quality of the opposition and the number of games played, but this is what we are in football for, to try and win matches and compete for trophies, give me a season like this one any day.

Photo: Action Images

hmmm added 15:00 - Oct 13 Been an unusually long time since the last "vital x games" which shape a season article. Whilst 5 games in 2 weeks is technically correct, really its a 7 games in 3 weeks block.
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Bettwsresident added 17:25 - Oct 13 Hmmmm, that is what happens in an international break..down tools for 2 weeks!
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LeTissIwish added 06:00 - Oct 14 'By the end of the season Saints will know the direction they are going in three of the four competitions they are competing in this season.' Wow, such insight.......................
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