That was a nice weekend wasn't it. It feels so much better starting the week after a win and positivity. Sure, okay not everyone is positive about the win, some see it as a blip and maybe it is. Maybe we lose the next three. But isn't it nicer to think, that if we win the next three we could be in the top six?
I know, blind optimism. But you have to have a bit of that sometimes, especially so early in the season. By 20 games it could be that we know we're not going to get promoted and all is lost, again, but until then I quite fancy we can beat Forest, Burton and Bolton this month and we could go into October with some real optimism.
But that is just me and today. As has been pointed out, by lots of people on the blog and social media, you want the football to get better too. I hope that comes, but again I'd take a boring 1-0 or a great 3-0 win every day of the week, even if the football is not as great as would like it and it's a little nail biting at times.
But isn't that what makes football exciting and more to the point, isn't that what the Championship should be about. I mean, isn't it a different beast? Or has it become so close to the Premier League that are expectations should be
The conversation on the blog was also quite nice in the end. I think when there is an engaged conversation and there is an opportunity to communicate with a little substance and both parties are able to explain their position it becomes clear. Maybe I didn't make myself clear before, around why twenty matches, but if you read the comments I suspect you'll find I made it clear.
It's not that I think Bruce will get us there. It's that I want him to have the chance. I believe after all the investment and all the changes, he should be given it. If at 20 games we're in the bottom half and ten points from top six, then it wouldn't bother me if he was replaced. My view is that if by then it's not working then something else is wrong.
And we're not going to magically create the next best manager. We are going to have to give chances to other people. We might get it right first time and it might be the fifth or tenth manager we bring in. But if we want to get back to the Premier League, we have to take calculated risks and even if the football isn't the best, if he can get results and get us up, surely that is what we all want?
Video of the day
Boro tomorrow
With all that written, we've got Boro again tomorrow in the League Cup. I wrote about this again last night and while winning silverware is for me what I value most, for me the focus this season has to be promotion. If someone offered me winning the League Cup or finishing in the top six but not knowing how it would play out, it would be something I'd have to think about.
What would you take?