What’s that dot at the end of the tunnel?

THAT was a good week, interesting for lots of reasons.

The defence coped without Carragher and the midfield did a job without Gerrard. Real challenges lie ahead, but so few teams beat Stoke on their incredibly shrinking pitch that we’ll regard it as a big deal.

Roy Hodgson would be checking his post for a knighthood in such circumstances.

His successor’s relationship with sentiment is ambiguous. In his first stint he had no qualms about ditching two European Cup-winning full backs within weeks of taking the job, but never really replaced Hansen despite his eggshell knees. Some are begging him to rediscover this ruthless streak. Internet snides murmur restlessly about Jamie’s impact on the defence, the midfield, morale and presumably the world economy too. Rafa has loyal friends but some are a bit cracked.

Bitterness (on both sides) stifles genuine debate. Is he too old to play every game? Isn’t it vital that we seek alternatives to a cornerstone player under cover of the current transition? All valid claims. It’s just unpleasant engaging with some of the bilious wretches making them. And, as always, steering towards the future with Agger in the cockpit usually means we’ll be understaffed soon enough.

Gerrard’s role is also under scrutiny. Not that a man with his own personal rumour mill is ever fully regarded as a fixture for very long despite a decade’s brilliance. A small training injury turns into semi-decapitation thanks to the babbling gasbags on Twitter, but he does seem to be picking up too many knocks.

The time will come: two Liverpudlian greats made their debuts 15 and 13 years ago respectively and hopefully Kenny will still be here when a decision must be made, but not yet. I wouldn’t complain about seeing the side at the Hawthorns repeated on Saturday though. It had the dubious advantage of featuring every major signing in 2011.

Suarez isn’t bothered about the diving racist tag he picked up shortly after the club that does what it wants sent out a proclamation. He’s been imperious and imperturbable. He scored goals to silence the miserable pessimists (ahem) and linked up well with an improving Carroll for both victories. We also won from 0-1 down. That will seem a bland boast to those who do it routinely but for a club who have rarely exhibited such doggedness for the vast majority of a decade Kenny’s first comeback is a start.

It was only West Brom. Those words are meant to dim the glow of Carroll’s improvement, an away win routinely accomplished in contrast to last autumn’s relentless dread, a largely unruffled defensive display and Suarez playing unburdened. The games with Chelsea may turn such bravado to outlandish mush, hell Swansea may even do it, but what’s that dot at the end of the tunnel? Light.

Feels good.