We travel down to Fulham with much more optimism thanks to our two recent home games that have both brought about a much needed boost around the club.
It will be a tough match – I make no bones about that – but I believe that the players are more than confident enough to battle for a victory and continue our marked improvement in performances and results.
Again, this will be quickly followed up by another game on our travels against Sunderland on Tuesday evening before we face Norwich City at Macron Stadium on Saturday 4 November.
With the games once again coming thick and fast, it is imperative that the manager has plenty of options in his squad.
Without wishing to tempt fate, this is the first time this season we’ve had a virtually full-strength squad to choose from. Will Buckley has returned to the fold after being sidelined with a calf problem, and with the exception of Chris Taylor, who should be back soon, and Reece Burke, who is nursing a hip strain, we are injury free.
The fact that we were able to include some first team players in the development squad earlier in the week illustrates the versatility the manager has at his disposal which augurs well over the coming weeks.
It was great to see the hunger, passion and commitment the players displayed on Monday evening. The younger end of our squad would also have benefitted from playing alongside their more experienced and senior colleagues.
After what was a very challenging start to the Sky Bet Championship campaign, there is real feel-good factor around the place and a strong collective belief that we can look upwards. If we all stand together, who knows what we can achieve?
You may have read a statement issued by the club on Wednesday – and the media coverage that has since followed - in which we confirmed that discussions with potential investors have now ceased.
I took this decision because several of the interested parties did not have the necessary funds required to take the club to the next level. Despite numerous requests for them to provide evidence of their funding capabilities, each of them failed to provide acceptable evidence after a number of weeks.
However, they continued to request financial and other sensitive information from the club and our associated businesses.
Due to the amount of time it was taking for Paul Aldridge and our Finance Department to deal with - and the unsettling effect it was having on our staff - I decided that now was not the time to have these discussions and our focus must be firmly fixed on the team and the results.
For the record, only one of the several interested parties was able to show proof of funds and, whilst I have terminated discussions until the end of the season, this is an opportunity which may be resurrected in May. I won’t be continuing dialogue with any of the other parties.
I’ve noted that there have been some comments in relation to the regular updates I post on the club’s official website.
When I first became involved with the club, one of the immediate things supporters told me was their frustration at the lack of communication from the previous regime. This is something I wanted to address straight away as I believe in an ‘open door’ policy and the need to keep you all fully informed.
During this period, I’ve received plenty of appreciative comments from supporters who are grateful for the regular updates and I do not see any reason for this not to continue.
As we all know, the nature of football can mean that situations change almost on a daily basis. Therefore, some of the notes posted may appear out of date not long after they have been published. This is the nature of the industry, but I wouldn’t want that to prevent me from keeping an open line of communication with you all.
On Thursday evening, I was very surprised to hear the comments made by Scunthorpe United chairman Peter Swann. His opinion on this matter does not really justify a response from me other than to say it reminded me of the Aesop’s fable about the fox and the grapes!
Please continue your fantastic support of the club as we embark on these three crucial games inside seven days. Your support does make a huge difference.
Kind regards,
Ken