WHEN Bill Shankly said "It's a marathon, not a sprint," he was talking about the long season of league games which our clubs took part in.

I personally used to believe that every club has four periods in a season; one when the team plays well and wins; another when it plays well and loses; also when it plays badly and loses, and sometimes plays badly and wins.

We play fewer leagues games than in Bill's day, but that's more than made up for by the number of European games.

But now the finishing tape is in sight, managers expect their teams to perform flat out and are not bothered whether it is a wonderful spectacle or not.

The result matters more than at any time in the previous 35 games.

I remember for instance working for BBC television abroad somewhere when Liverpool got the goal to win the European Cup and I was the most excited man in the stadium because I realised that we, Southampton, would qualify then for the UEFA Cup.

Those were the days when only the champions or the winners the previous season went into the European Cup.

Now the big question is if Liverpool win it again, should they automatically be in next season at the expense of the fourth team in what is now, of course, the Champions League.

Unfortunately my old club and its loyal supporters are not too concerned with that argument this season, but rather with the three from four situation at the wrong end of the table.

On paper the task is straight forward.

From today there are three games left, two of them against others in the bottom four, with the final game against Manchester United who by then will probably have lost second place to Arsenal and have their mind set on the FA Cup Final the following week. So to win three out of three does not seem impossible - until we remember that the team has only been able to win five of the previous 35.

I was interested to hear the comments this week of Alan Ball and Mick Channon, two Saints legends from my days.

Alan pointed the finger at the dressing room and suggested that the players themselves need to have a meeting, without staff, behind closed doors.

Undoubtedly Harry and his staff will be handling the situation in the proper way, but Alan's point is valid.

In the old days, with many fiery characters around, no verbal punches were pulled in team meetings.

But, with characters like Bally, Mick and other big names in the dressing-room, there was no shortage of natural leaders.

This, of course, may well be the problem that Harry has possibly found - a group of players, good professionals in their own way, but without any real outstanding leaders or strong characters in the bunch.

Really the sort of discussion Alan suggests should be on the lines of: 'Do we honestly believe we should be higher in the table; has it always been down to bad luck or bad refereeing decisions, or are we kidding ourselves and do we need to roll up the sleeves a bit higher and fight until we drop to retain our proud position which was fought so hard for all those years ago'?

Bally himself was a key player in our promotion year and went on to help us get a foothold which was subsequently built on until eventually we became a regular top-six outfit.

The current players should also ask themselves what the future would hold should they go down.

While some may have the comfort of a long-term contract, others may find it's not so easy to get a club as good as ours.

In a few weeks time there will literally be hundreds of professionals looking for a new employer.

Mick Channon said this week that now is not the time for recriminations or pointing the finger, and I agree with those sentiments.

As long as there is a chance to stay up, everyone should be thinking positive and continue to support the team.

But the players surely must realise that they cannot possibly ask anyone to get behind them if they put in another performance like the one in last Sunday's derby.

That ensured Portsmouth would finish higher than us regardless of what happens from now on.

I have had many people asking me my thoughts since and, if only the players mixed as much with the supporters, they would realise how deeply the fans are affected by the team's successes or failures.

Sometimes, though, the supporters theories are different and often amusing.

For instance one chap suggested that we had allowed Manchester United to beat us in the FA Cup so that Sir Alex Ferguson would return the favour in our last league game.

And also that, because Harry and Alex have an interest in racehorses, a deal would be done.

But the best one of all I was told was that the last game of the season for Portsmouth is at West Bromwich and, should the Baggies still have a chance of staying up, Milan Mandaric will play in goal!

All of these are obviously way off mark and if ever proof of this was needed it was when Blackburn, safe now and managed by Mark Hughes, prevented West Brom, managed by Hughes's old teammate and friend Bryan Robson, from getting the win they so desperately needed this week.

Believe me, there are no favours given and no deals done.

There are lots of commiserations if things don't go right, but basically in the professional game everyone wants to win every time.

The losers get no sympathy, because there but for the grace of God, goes somebody else.

And while the rest go on the beaches in June, the bottom three are left licking their wounds.

And I can tell you from experience that the wounds take a long time to heal.

I just hope someone in the Saints players' meeting - if they have one - reminds everyone of that.

l Naturally I hope the next two results are favourable.

But an added reason is that Fred Dinenage, who started on television shortly after John Logie Baird invented it, has persuaded me to join him and the glamorous international singer Karen Noble at the Fernham Hall, Fareham, on Sunday, May 8 (7.30pm) for an evening which has been billed 'TV, Sex and Football.'

I'm hoping I just have to talk about football but, believe me, Karen is a fantastic singer who is renowned in show business so we're looking forward to a good evening.

I'm hoping a few Saints supporters can help me out as Fareham is dangerously near enemy territory.

Seriously, I'm sure it will be a fun night and Fred, hopefully, will be put in his place with us having won our next two games and his lot being trounced!

The ticket hotline is 01329 231942.