THIS enforced break could be doing the world of good for Saints.

Yes, it must be pointed out that if the Premier League season is cancelled the club are looking at a £35million financial black hole to deal with.

There is clearly a huge desire for the campaign to be completed to teams are able to avoid having to pay back the reported £762million to TV companies.

But if you put the financial aspect to one side, the work that’s currently being done in the background should hopefully pay off in the coming months and seasons.

As reported by the Daily Echo, manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to help the club move forward.

This led to him, along with other members of the backroom staff, creating what the Austrian is dubbing ‘iBook’.

The compilation of Hasenhuttl-led coaching sessions will be passed down through the academy to ensure that all the youth sides are playing the same brand of football as the first team.

Staplewood is currently deserted due to the coronavirus crisis but when normality resumes, the archive of footage should be an incredibly helpful tool.

It should, in theory, mean that when youngsters arrive at a first-team training session for the first time they will already know what to expect.

This will save Hasenhuttl time when it comes to getting them up to speed and should, therefore, create a clearer pathway into the starting XI.

As well as that, this break has also given Saints’ manager and the St Mary’s hierarchy time to get their house in order.

Following the appointment of Matt Crocker at the back end of last year – it’s worth noting he didn’t officially start until February – the club were keen to continue with the ongoing restructuring.

But, at the time, their position in the Premier League looked to be under threat and it was decided that any appointments behind the scenes should be delayed until things are clearer.

A fantastic run over Christmas and into January led to Saints climbing their way out of danger and all but securing their top-flight safety.

The plan was to still make changes in the summer, but they could now be made sooner because the likes of Hasenhuttl, Crocker and chief executive Martin Semmens have had time to sit down and talk at length about the topic.

Due to the intensity and demands of a Premier League season, clubs don’t always have the opportunity to start working on projects that will help them in the long run.

These are normally sorted out in the summer, so if Saints can get everything in place before then, with one eye on next season – whenever that will be – it should put them in good stead.

Hasenhuttl and Saints are both committed to the same philosophy of making the most out of the tools they have.

And, apart from the financial strain all clubs would be put under if the current campaign is cancelled, there should be an air of optimism floating around St Mary’s.