Claude Puel has labelled his club’s fixture calendar as “crazy” and believes it puts Saints at a disadvantage compared to some of their rivals.

Saints have just two games in March, having played a club record nine in January.

With postponements due to cup matches they are left kicking their heels with three games in 48 days, before what will be a jam packed finale to the campaign.

Saints will need to squeeze rearranged matches against Manchester United and Arsenal into midweek slots, and a trip to Chelsea could yet be added to that list depending on the FA Cup quarter-final results.

Puel, whose side take on Watford tomorrow, was already frustrated Saints had by far the hardest fixture run of any Premier League club over Christmas, and now feels a sense of annoyance over the way things are panning out again.

He said: “My job and my work was to prepare the team with the difficulty of the calendar, not just to play a final.

“When you see we have got to play two games in the month after playing every three days since the beginning of the season it’s crazy. It is crazy for us, and difficult.

“It is difficult to keep the good focus, the good concentration, with a game every two weeks.

“This game against Watford is very important for us when you see the table.

“You saw we cannot play against Arsenal and we lost two places on the table.

“After Watford we cannot play against Manchester United and that gives the other teams a chance.

“Then we play every three days to see the games rearranged. We have got to play against teams playing once a week.

“All this difficulties and a good challenge and we have to adapt to this position of the calendar.

“It is why this game against Watford is very important. When we play it is important to win.”

Puel was asked whether the fixture calendar was unfair, and reflected: “It is difficult. For example when we have had two weeks before the final it was a good thing because we played every three days since the beginning of the season.

“I can give players four days off, the first time this season, and fantastic for the staff and the recovery of the players. After we go on a training camp in Spain and it was fantastic work.

“I said congratulations for all the club staff around the team and for the players also, because all do fantastic, professional work to prepare this game and to put the players in the best condition.

“Now it’s different. Two weeks is dangerous because to keep the good concentration and focus on the training sessions, the good intensity and reason is very difficult.

“To keep all the attention of the players. We can train but a training session is not an official game. This is difficult.

“We played every three days and for Christmas five days, three games, was crazy. Just us. Now two weeks every time to prepare a game is very difficult.

“It is a real challenge for the next game to have good result in this condition.”