After the debacle at Oxford, Saints head North on the A34 again, this time to Birmingham City, although Boxing Day was a disappointment, there is no need to press the panic button just yet.

This is a game where Tonda Eckert really needs to show that Johannes Spors was right to show such faith in him, after his plan A worked so well in his first games, Tonda has struggled in the last few weeks to show he has a Plan B, but in fairness to him I think his problems are easily solvable, but can does he see the same things that I do and consider them a problem ?

At the risk of writing the same preview for this game as the verdict for the Oxford game, he has to look as to why the midfield and attackers have not been receiving the ball so much in the past few games.

The flowing football has been stemmed by the likes of Oxford who pressed quickly and hard and found our defenders wanting in their ability to still keep supplying the midfield.

In my opinion we need a leader, there is not one at the club at present, but for this game we will have to make do, but we can reshuffle the back 3, as I have said the 3 that played at Oxford do not compliment each other, they are all pretty much the same type of player.

That means that as a unit, they lack pace, they lack passing ability and at the moment they are lacking organisational skills and the ability to mark, but that could be rectified with a little reshuffle.

For me it is as simple as moving Taylor Harwood- Bellis to the centre for the strength, playing Ronnie Edwards on the right for his ability to pass and use the ball and to get forward quickly and his general mobility and on the left Joshua Quarshie, who is big and strong, adds pace and can use the ball.

If we stick with the 3 at Oxford in the same positions then we are going to get the same results.

If we make these changes and can start getting the ball into the midfield a lot quicker, then we will stop the faffing around at the back in a throwback to Russell Martin and Will Still and we will start getting Leo Scienza and Tom Fellows into the game in a way they haven't been doing in the last few away games.

That will also see the ball being played to Adam Armstrong and a return to the free flowing football that we saw only a few weeks ago.

Of course football isn't quite as simple as that, but it shouldn't be difficult either.

Tonda Eckert's record is still good and if we start winning again, then all will be forgotten about Oxford Norwich & Millwall, we are still only 5 points off the play offs, we just need to shorten that gap again.

Birmingham are a good home side, they have won 6, drawn 4 and lost only 1 at St Andrews in the league this season, they sit just 1 point behind us in the table, we need to make sure that they are not above us come the final whistle.

Form wise they have faltered of late, they haven't won in 5 games, losing 5 and drawing the other 2, this includes their 3-1 defeat at St Mary's at the start of the month.

We should go here without fear and be confident that we can get a result, if we are going to harbour hopes of promotion, then we have to start getting results at places such as Birmingham.

All Photos Via Reuters