Time To Recharge

With most managers bemoaning the timing of international breaks, Kevin Blackwell is using it to his advantage and striker Robbie Blake thinks it couldn't have come at a better time.

Speaking the official site, Blake said:

'We have only still lost one in seven games so there's not much of a crisis but we all know we should have got maximum points from our last two games.

'This break will do us the world of good because we can regroup and prepare for the game a week on Saturday against Southampton. You have to win these tough games to be up there.

'I did a lot of fitness work during the last break but I am up to speed now and can enjoy the break with the lads. We just need to regroup and look at how we can freshen things up.

'We have had a tough month in terms of fixtures, we managed to take points off the big boys but Crewe away was very disappointing and picking up a point against Preston wasn't enough.

'We have to hang in there though because we're not even half way through the season yet, it's not over yet, but the pressure is on the teams around the top to start winning games and that's all we have to do. We need maximum points from games, and it's going to be tough against Southampton but we need to make sure we don't get beat at the very least.'

The manager has taken the team to France to play a friendly against Rodez, and following that the players will be given plenty of time to rest and recover in advance of the Southampton match.