Watford’s Danny Webber – on loan from Manchester United – inspired a five-goal demolition of hapless Coventry City at Vicarage Road.

Personally, I would’ve been quietly pleased with a point. A return to stability, to steady progress towards wherever-we’re-hoping-to-end-up. A draw, especially if we’d managed to score in the process, would’ve been all right, really. Not too bad. We would’ve been slightly reassured after the savage defeat at Fratton, and could’ve looked forward with renewed semi-enthusiasm to a season of predictable results, mid-table comfort, steady improvement. For now, I’m content with looking to the long-term, always understating short-term hopes.