I don't think that anyone from off of on of out of here would disagree..

.. that any new manager should be allowed half a dozen games to find his feet, get to know his players, where they play best, and what his best team is.

Hughton is no exception. The one thing he's not is a Lambert clone, and TFFT IMHO. My philosophy with Lambert's departure was that it could be a blessing in disguise. What if this season showed that he'd already taken us as far as he could? Just like Worthington, we'd be back in the second tier, and possibly realising that change needs to be made when it's too late. It's a sign of strength in business to make changes when things are going well, and after a week where the club revealed their latest financial results, vision for the future (including the new academy) and got the first win of the season; McNally and Bowkett have shown us where we're going. A plan. A vision. A long term strategy. I've bought into it, and believe we have some exciting times ahead, but better still, the club is being put in the best shape it's ever been to embrace the future. Not just for our generation, but for our children's generation, and beyond. Don't get me wrong. The football bubble will burst eventually, taking some huge name casualties with it. However, we won't be one of them.

That said, this is a results driven business, and for everything done behind the scenes to build for the future, it ultimately means nothing if we don't get those results on the pitch. I'm delighted Bowkett turned round in the week and said we'll be in the Premier League next season. His confidence in the club's plan and vision is infectious.

I believe that yesterday's first win under CH was a watershed moment. He played a blinder with setting up the tic tacs. The team played a blinder in keeping Arsenal quiet all game. Something that we'd long recognised under Lambert is the defence needed sorting out. McNally is a football man, as well as an astute businessman. Quite possibly he realised, as much as Lambert was the man to get us out of League One and the Championship, he wasn't the man to keep us in the Premier League. I've heard time and again any new manager who comes into a club, say that they need to rebuild their defence first, and once that's fixed, you move forward through the midfield and strikers. This is what Hughton's doing. He's building from the back. Making sure we have the solid foundations in defence to build forward. Eight games in, and it's clearly still work in progress, but it does explain the more defensive attitude to our play so far. People may not like it, but right now it's a necessary evil. It is being sorted, and that's what we were calling for afterall.

I thought Wes was brilliant yesterday. He ran and ran, he got stuck in, he created, he troubled. Everything we know Wes can do. Has Hughton's reluctance to play Wes early on given the wee man a hunger and desire again? Maybe, and if so, long may it continue.

WFLGHA has clearly got his mojo back. His love of the club and passion is back. His ghouls are back! As much as I was disappointed with the couple he fluffed second half, he was clearly pissed off with himself. The fire is burning bright in his belly. He is a larger than life character, but he's the talisman, the one person that binds the team together, his value goes way beyond the new contract he finally secured in the summer. I was one of those worried about Holty's previous with Colin Calderwood at Forest. I worry no more. The Horse is loving it again.

Hughton's still getting to know his players, and they're still getting to know him. Whether yesterday's victory was the start of the new era clicking in to place, well only time will tell. However, I do think that having had the run of tough games we've had out of the first half dozen matches, it gives us a good momentum heading into a slightly "easier" run of games... games that we really need to be getting results in. Having beaten Arsenal, we owe Stoke for last season.. so that could be six points that we didn't get last year. Makes you think, duntut?

As for next Satdee, we have more to prove to Villa, than they do to us. Off the back of our first victory, the growing belief, and the returning sense of togetherness amongst the team is why I think we'll do 'em! I really do.

This is not a short-term onward and upward, let's hope we can just finish 17th or better (although I'd be delighted with that), this is a long term rallying call that we are Norwich, super Norwich, and we're hair to stay!

Too many words.

OTBC.

Posted By: Jim Nasium, Oct 21, 11:09:55