The Man In The Stands Following strict rules from The Man - that is, going on strike until September - it's probably time to get up and running again.You all know what happened over the summer and since, so it's not going to all get repeated here.

The Man In The Stands

Following strict rules from The Man - that is, going on strike until September - it's probably time to get up and running again.

You all know what happened over the summer and since, so it's not going to all get repeated here. Let's just say it's been heartening stuff.

That's not bad considering the 90 degree burns from last August will take more than one anniversary to get over.

But we're all right. For once, we look like we'll do the very least we should expect - which is better than Scunthorpe, Doncaster, Swansea, Preston, Bristol City, Derby and anyone else lucky enough to scrape another season in the Championship.

Lambo's still here, that's the main thing.

The Man loves the guy with every passing smirk. The Championship is his to prove himself in.

And you just don't see him screwing it up for as long as he's here. That's the big one. How long?

We can all be thankful Premier League clubs are not only rotten cesspits thanks to all that money to fritter, but so insular they keep handing jobs to Avram Grant and Mark Hughes. They just don't get it.

One day the wrong club will come calling. One day Lambo will be off.

But if there's one thing to enjoy now we're back in the 'promising' land, it's the bloke in charge.

Because he's got it - and that means we've got it too.

t Forget the 'character' of Ian Holloway and his Tangerine dream, there's only one joke side in the Premier League.

For years Dave Whelan has tricked the world into believing someone in Wigan gives a toss about football by bankrolling their local Conference side.

But even by their standards, taking 60 - that's right, 60 - 'fans' to White Hart Lane for their game last week is a disgrace.

Whelan probably had to pay them to go anyway - not that it would have cost him much.

What's really annoying is they won the bloody game, but hopefully their time will come in May.

t The gut wrenching discomfort of sharing a division with I****** is back in full flow already.

While we look like we've got plenty of fight, they're threatening to get their act together.

The lack of Rob Roy's death stares not only means a lack of amusement, it means he's probably not about to kill anyone for being rubbish.

Which in turn means they're doing all right.

Nervous times. The Man prefers us having a division to ourselves.