With the continued mild weather, it doesn't seem possible to me that the clocks go back tomorrow and this time next week we'll be a third of the way through the season.

With the continued mild weather, it doesn't seem possible to me that the clocks go back tomorrow and this time next week we'll be a third of the way through the season.

In what would appear to be a tight Championship league this year (only a dozen or so points separate play-offs and relegation positions), surely we are fast approaching the time when the men separate themselves from the boys.

Our friends from the Welsh capital looked to be the new Reading until their visit to Norfolk last Saturday at least temporarily stunted their flying start, some of the early-season favourites (ourselves included) have stuttered and laboured in the first 10 weeks or so and no obvious pattern has yet to materialise.

Having seen off Brum and Cardiff in our previous two outings, I don't see a reason why we should fear anyone in this division. Confidence and belief can count as an extra man (just ask Alan Pardew about that) and whatever Mr Grant has so far brought to the club and team, those two ingredients were clearly top priority on his business plan; thank goodness for that.

The midweek penalty failings in the Potteries should be no more than a minor blip. If we can continue to pick up points in the league, whether that be grinding out results or playing opposition off the park, we have every chance of climbing the table. Forgive my optimism, I appreciate reality isn't always what we would like it to be, but we've turned a corner and now it's time to kick on.

Our flimsy squad still presents us with the chief obstacle for progress (we would be very fortunate to mimic the injury-free campaign we enjoyed in our last promotion success) and so I'm hoping the new manager has a promising list of potential new recruits on his January shopping list.

I'm not sure what will be available to him or what the Carrow Road coffers will allow, but added strength in key areas can transform our team into real promotion contenders.

No-one needs reminding that Nigel Worthington's triumph in adding Messrs Huckerby and Crouch to his group three years ago was the catalyst for our success the following May. I personally believe we have better players now and so, with the right signings, this could yet be the season we are all dreaming of.

For now, there are plenty of points up for grabs and if I'm reading part three of the Peter Grant business plan correctly - clean sheets and feed Earnie - we can win them for fun. Easy.