Up until a couple of weeks ago I was getting very worried about this season. I'm now feeling quite excited and cant wait to see the new lads in action. Sadly wont be there today and may have to wait a few weeks before I can get up to NYS, but I think we will be quite comfortable.

Play up the Millers

Very difficult to predict but on paper we are in a relegation fight.

The players we have are relatively speaking better than we had in our first season.

In seasons 1 and 2 we had dreadful long spells of poor points returns but rallied at the end of each season to get over the line and quite comfortably according to our points gap.

With a new manager who doesn't know the championship and somewhat more investment but the dramatic change in the loan system it's simply points to a season of struggle and excitement.

No scientist could conclude anything else other than a place between 2nd to 6 th from bottom.

I hope you're all right, a 3rd season of struggle will not look good on paper in trying to attract in what we need to progress. I think it'll be a weird league up until Christmas when the big spenders will start to emerge. I do think the gap between L1 and the CH will be too much of a shock for Burton & Barnsley, whereas Wigan can spend if they need too. I think Blackburn or Bolton may suffer from their financial insecurities and massive debt & although Huddersfield have bought a few in, there's a lot of unrest over there about the direction the club is going. Brentford have been pretty quiet this summer, and although they have a few decent players, with their infrastructure it can only be a matter of time before they redress the balance. So I think there's a few clubs there who could potentially be in the mix, as for us - I've no idea. While we're a steady ship off the field, Stubbs needs to try and bring more longer term consistency on it, and some of the players he's brought in suggest that's what he's going for. To all intents and purposes though, the transition and building needs to continue in a way that we need, quality over quantity, and if we can do that while staying in this league then all the better - so again we only need 4th bottom, and I'll be happy with that until more come in of 'quality' maybe during this window, January and next summer.

PS just read that back - sounds like one of the articles Paul or Joe would write! :) - Giz a job!