I WAS worried before the West Brom game. Don’t get me wrong, we were always going to be stronger than the newly-promoted side, but I did wonder whether we were going to see some major bottom lips on display after news was leaked of the abolition of various bonuses.

AS WEEKS go, that was close to perfection. I am, of course, writing this prior to last night’s match against Bolton so if we managed to balls it up please substitute all that follows with “flippin’ Ancelotti – I knew he would bottle it . . . team didn’t want it enough, etc, etc.”