The Fulham result and performance

Could already turn out to be our most important result of the season. Entirely separate from the points and confidence we have gained, it might influence potential signings over the next few days. We're a much more attractive proposition having beaten the strongest team on paper with a display of exciting, dynamic football than if we'd been battered 3-0.

 

I tell you Mansfield, I was utterly gobsmacked by how we played on Saturday. I had a decent bet on Fulham because I couldn't see how we could cope with that strikeforce with a back four on a first date, as it were. I was delighted to lose my bet a) because we were awesome and b) because I was also on Rotherham to the same extent!

Being football fans, we now worry about what will go wrong. The usual worry with this scenario is that other teams will soon twig how we play and try to counteract it. But actually, when you think about it, how do they do that? They can't stop us running hard and hassling and harrying quickly when we lose possession. Unless other teams are also set up to play that way then they can't just start doing so with existing personnel. Looking at how cumbersome Huddersfield were last night we'd have given them a very interesting game too! Oddly enough, our toughest games might just be against the two teams who came up with us - both of whom we play in August!

The one thing we can say is the season couldn't have started more interestingly for us. Survival ought to be well achievable. Anything else is a bonus...……………………..

 

If we remember other clubs cottoned on to us last season and put us thru a rocky patch but we managed to come thru it

 

I my be a born pessimist, but I really would not read too much into one game. Sheffield United and Luton both lost their first games last year. I still think this is a weaker team than the one that got us promoted and the constant churn of players is unhealthy. I sniff a wee bit of hype about the Fulham performance. I'm sure Daniel is under no illusion about the challenge we face, starting at Sheffield Wednesday.

 

I agree about the performance. It wasn't just the result, it was the manner of the result. If fans and reporters are sitting up and taking notice then surely young players and agents have noticed too. Exciting times and it could have been so different after a drubbing.

I just mentioned to a mate that last time in the Champ, those early wins against Villa and QPR almost looked like cup wins; us against the big boys, backs to the wall, playing out of our skins. The Fulham game was so different - without getting carried away, we looked so comfortable and in control and after 90 mins it was almost a routine win. This surprised me as I shared concerns about the Fulham line-up and I wasn't convinced by us v. Sheff U the week before.

I'm trying to keep a lid on things, but these are indeed exciting times.