Grit and pragmatism key to anchoring top-flight status

[BBC] After fighting our way back to where we belong, no Saints supporter is under any illusion about the dogfight waiting for us across the division. The middle and bottom half of this league could be separated by a hair's breadth. It is going to be absurdly, relentlessly tight. ​Every week the margins are razor thin. We aren't going to blow teams away and nobody expects us to. But in a division where fourth place and the relegation scrap are often separated by just a handful of points, survival and stability come down to how you handle the fine details. ​It is all about the odd goal. Saturday was an example of that. One missed penalty by us. One scored penalty by them. That was the difference. ​If we can master the art of turning goalless stalemates into 1–0 wins, or pinching a late winner off a scrappy set-piece, those three points become absolute gold dust. Crucially, even on the days where things don't go our way, losing by one rather than letting games spiral keeps the goal difference intact and prevents confidence from shattering. In a league where half the table will be sweating over goal difference come April, nicking tight results and staying competitive in every fixture will see us just fine. ​We have the grit and I've seen enough of the lads to know they fight for each other. As long as we stay pragmatic, hold our nerve in the tightest moments and edge those one-goal swing games, Saints will do more than enough to anchor our place in the top flight. Strap in, it's going to be a tense ride, but we've got what it takes. Sam Miller can be found at Dogger Saints