THE Christmas and New Year period is not only one of the most hectic of the football calendar but also the most important.

It can shape the rest of your season depending on how well you do so while everyone can relax and enjoy themselves we have to keep on our toes.

What is certain is that in a relatively short period of time you can make the holiday fixtures work to your advantage and emerge for the New Year in a strong position.

Our constant injury problems will put added pressure on the fit players in the squad over this period. The same players will be playing a lot of football and their bodies will be under more pressure and therefor there will be more risk of picking up further injuries.

Sadly there is no immediate return for the likes of Mark Shail, Stewart Hadley, David Foy and Marc Burrow.

Though matches come fast and furious at this time, it's part of the tradition and with bigger gates it's not a situation that is going to change.

City have a busy eight days starting with the visit of Paul Parker's Chelmsford side on Saturday followed by the trip to Newport County and then at home again to Welling.

Hednesford come to St George's Lane on New Year's Day so we have three home games and we have to be looking for maximum points.

We managed just a point against Chelmsford at their place and it took a brilliant goal to beat Danny McDonnell on that day.

They were delighted with a point and before Tamworth's visit to Billericay if you had asked anyone from Chelmsford who was the best side they had played they would have said us.

Boxing Day means a trip to Wales and an encounter with Newport County who have endured a mixed bag this season.

They started well, then slumped which cost Tim Harris his job but seemed to have picked up of late though they lost at home last week.

Welling then visit the Lane and they've been on the wrong end of a few results against us so will be out for revenge.

I would like to see us score a few more goals though I'm not unduly worried about that side of our game and I'm hopeful of bringing in one or two players to boost the squad, especially with the injury problems with Shail and the rest.

Defensively we have been excellent and 13 goals conceded in the league tells its own story.

My hope for this period is that we can come out at the other side, with a few more goals tucked under our belt, no fresh injuries to report but still in touch at the top.

Football these days seems to be full of extremes with doom and gloom if you lose or wild optimism when you win but as it stands I'm happy with Worcester's position and progress.

There is still an awful lot to play for in this Dr Martens Premier Division championship race with many twists and turns to come and we aim to have a starring role in it.