A Year On....

I've had a growing feeling of self-satisfaction this last week. Don't know about you but could be an uncomfortable case of smugness (the 8th Deadly Sin).

Twelve months ago we had given Iain Dowie the boot and were about to lurch from one crisis to another. Our fans were split over whether or not it was the right thing to do but almost everyone knew that Les Reed's appointment was a disaster very quickly afterwards as we headed to the bottom of the tank. All this after 15 years of relative stability and progress. Simon Jordan was revelling in our plight and reminding us all of how he'd warned our Board that "what goes around comes around" as he'd left the Valley with his tail between his legs on St. Jonathan's Day.

Four months later and Alan Pardew steadied the ship but it was too much to ask of him with what he had inherited and and we, ultimately, paid a heavy price for our £20m gamble to push on following the Alan Curbishley era. Simon Jordan had his perverse day in the sun.

Two months into a brave new season and Alan Pardew can give himself a big pat on the back. Having rebuilt the entire playing squad and backroom staff in little more than six months, his emerging new team are unbeaten in 8 and lying second in the table. All this achieved well within the sale budget and presumably he has repaid part of the Dowie debt as well. What's more, there should be more to come from this side and the division looks to hold little in the way of surprises so far.

By comparison Simon Jordan's Crystal Palace have stumbled on and the unfortunate Peter Taylor (he who didn't fancy the Charlton job) finds himself the latest scapegoat for Palaces' lack of genuine quality. I thought Simon might ride this one out a while but I was forgetting his monstrous ego. The anticipated appointment of Neil Warnock (yes, I know, Neil Warnock!) is adding to my sense of well-being. This really is a marriage made in court.

Down at the other corner of the Bermuda Triangle, the Lions have big problems of their own. They continue to struggle desperately to attract the finances they need to redecorate their house and it's hard to see any takers knowing the social skills of the family who live there. Having conceded four goals at Carlisle in the first half on Saturday, Poor Willie has been shown the door. Millwall's hierarchy (sic) and their supporters have, to a large extent, a much smaller slice of `Umble Pie to eat than their ugly neighbours. Knowing the limits of their expectations, they are always more circumspect than Palace in gloating. That, and the fact that the mindless majority couldn't care less what's happening as long as there's the prospect of a bundle several times a season.

The appointment of a replacement at the not-so-New Den will be interesting. You have to suspect they will go the least-cost route and appoint someone on the cheap, if not allow Richard Shaw a run at it if they can overcome their nemisis at Priestfield next time out.

The feel-good factor could well be here for a while yet.