WELCOME to the rollercoaster ride that is Gordon Strachan.

Life is never flat and boring for the Scotsman, as his times as manager at Coventry, and as a player with Aberdeen, Manchester United and Leeds will bear testament to.

The latest excursion, the "Southampton experience" is also full of peaks and troughs, borne out by the 6-1 thumping at Manchester United last Saturday, only for his team to emerge deserved Boxing Day winners over Tottenham.

"I was not surprised with how they responded against Tottenham after Saturday's result," admitted Strachan. "It was what I expected from them.

"I wouldn't say what we got at Old Trafford was a hammering. I was speaking to the Manchester United people after the game and they agreed it wasn't so.

"It was a freak performance. Manchester United had seven attempts on goal and they scored six. I don't think you will ever get that ratio again in the Premier League this year.

"Unlike Derby, where they had no attempts on goal against us, but still scored!"

As the team coach hurtled down the M6 from Manchester, Strachan spoke to his shell-shocked players. He told them to put aside the game, forget the result, and to continue what they had been doing well. Putting in performances which had gleaned wins over Charlton, Leicester and Sunderland.

"It was not a problem to pick them up after the Manchester United game," said the Saints chief.

"I spoke to them on the bus coming home and I told them to go away and enjoy their Christmas with their families.

"I would be the first to get on to them privately if I felt they were letting themselves down.

"They did everything right in the Tottenham game. They stayed focussed and I thought we were the better team in the second half.

"I was not surprised by how the players responded after Manchester United. I knew they would handle it well."

So Strachan can tick Manchester United - away, and Tottenham - home, off his wallchart fixture list. Looming large are daunting ties against Leeds tomorrow, followed by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on New Year's Day, Liverpool and Manchester United on January 9 and 13, followed by a trip to Anfield on January 19.

Don't talk to Strachan about opposing players - rarely does he rise to the bait. Van Nistelrooy or Fowler, who's the better striker? "It doesn't bother me," he replied.

Don't talk to Strachan about the opposition either - he is solely focussed on his own team, and won't differentiate whether he is preparing his sides to face Leeds, Leicester or Leek Town.

"Every game is a challenge," he offered. "Every game is incredibly hard in this league, so if you are looking for me to say we are trying harder or we will be doing this, the reality is we will be doing nothing different for the Leeds game."

But surely you would only be human to treat a home game against a top side such as Liverpool, Leeds or Manchester United, differently to a battle against teams of the calibre of Ipswich, Derby or Leicester?

"Obviously I am not human because I don't think like that. I really don't think like that," replied Strachan.

"I think every game is hard in this Premier League. I think the players have got an opportunity of beating any team in this league, and if the players don't do it right then any team can beat us."

The one thing Strachan does agree with, is that Saints have a tough run of games fixed together over a very short period of time - in between the next big four games, they travel to Rotherham a week tomorrow for the third round of the FA Cup.

"Yes we have got a busy run of games, but the top teams do this all the time and we have got to get used to it," he insisted.