The game against the newly minted Newcastle has taken on extra urgency for Saints after they dropped into the bottom three following Saturday's fixtures, in simple terms it means if Saints are to stay out of the relegation zone during the World Cup break they have to win this one.
After starting this article on a bleak note i would clarify the situation by saying that it doesn't matter a hoot if we are in the bottom three, as older Saints supporters know from the 1990's the only table that matters is the final one.
Over the past few weeks we have been missing some of our best players, in the New Year we will have a full squad for the first time and hopefully with the signing of a striker we can quickly pull clear of the danger zone.
But first we have to try and do that by beating an in form Newcastle side, we have done that before against the odds and we can do it again.
The Toon Army will be hoping to cheer their team on to a victory that will cement their position in the Champion 's League places and perhaps push themselves up to third.
For our part we could move up to as high as 13th with a win, although a draw would be enough to get us out of the zone as we would rise above Bournemouth on goal difference.
The good news is that Romeo Lavia and Armel Bella-Kotchap are fit again and back in contention, Lavia has got time under his belt in the B team and should be ready to slot back into the side and although Bella-Kotchap hasn't played in 3 weeks, he should still be fit due to the fact that he will have been able to run and keep his fitness up due to his injury being his shoulder that although has restricted physical contact, wont have affected his movement.
With their hopeful return to the starting line up that will give Saints a more balanced look and will hopefully release James Ward Prowse to have a more attacking influence.
So the big question is whether the manager will go for a back three or a four.
I suspect we may go for 3 at the back, Bella-Kotchap, Caleta-Car & Salisu is a strong line up, that would see two wing backs, perhaps Romain Perraud & Ainsley Maitland-Niles in this role, with a central trio of Lavia, JWP and Joe Aribo, with a striking duo of Che Adams and for my money playing Adam Armstong alongside him in a striking role.
But this won't be an easy game Newcastle have quietly got on with the job of moving up the table and have lost just once this season, this being a 2-1 defeat at Liverpool at the end of August.
But although they have turned into a side that is hard to beat, they aren't yet ready to take on the big boys just yet, of the other 12 games they have won just 6 and of course drawn the other 6, but the worrying trend is that 5 of those victories have come in the last 6 games, their only failure to take a point being a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford.
So Saints task is both a simple and a hard one, the simple part is that they now have some focus and know exactly what they need to do, they have the motivation of the League table to spur them on, but the hard part is that they face a Newcastle side high on confidence and on a roll.
Newcastle under Eddie How are a well drilled side and have put together a good solid run, but they are not a side packed with World Class players, they are slowly building up momentum and will buy again in January to reinforce the side and try to get it, if not in the top four but definitely the top 6 and Europe.
This is a winnable game, next season it will be even less, but they are not where they want to be just yet and will have games they come unstuck.
But all good runs have to come to an end and this is a good time for Saints to come good and in doing so take the pressure off.
As I said at the start it would be good to have the psychological advantage of being out of the bottom three for the World Cup Break, but I am not concerned if we are, but the reality is that if we are going to stay out we have to get out later today, going to Anfield and getting even a point would be a tough ask.