Don’t get me wrong, I’d have taken a 1-0 win on Tuesday anytime before the match; and I was delighted to get it. A sign of a good team, they say, is playing poorly and winning. So, there was an improvement on Tuesday in that regard.

We didn’t play well, although defensively we looked reasonable, most of the time. We were lucky, when Gallas nearly gifted Bangoura a goal. Almunia got his angles wrong and had Bangoura had a left foot I fear the ball would have got between Almunia and the near post. The important thing is we survived that, had a couple of chances, Almunia made a great save late on, Denilson gave his all down both the flanks and in a moment of genius, Cesc found the pink-booted wonder and we were through.

Hopefully, this will give the team a major confidence boost for the game on Sunday; intriguingly Chelsea are the ones under a bit more pressure now – they have drawn against Manure and lost to the Scousers so far and by drawing in France they have to make sure of a win on CL matchday 6 to progress. Oh how we would laugh if the Transylvanians stopped them in their tracks. As for Sunday, maybe one or two of our walking wounded will be back and we can get a point. A win, I fear, will be beyond us as I fear our defensive frailties are still there.

But back to Tuesday night. Vela and Ramsey were, in the main excellent. Vela should start on Sunday (forget the Carling Cup on Tuesday), as his direct running at Terry could easily induce a foul in a dangerous area. Djourou will make a fine centre back, one day, but a full back? No! Someone needs to teach him how to take a throw-in by the way. And as for Alex Song – another one who is or will one day also be fine at centre back, but as a holding midfielder, who needs to tackle more than once in 90 minutes? No, no, no, a thousand times no. One of the Carling Cup kids would be better there.

So after a dreadful week or so for the club, the ship has been steadied and finally we have a new CEO. Not losing on Sunday will seem like major progress to me at least. Let’s hope it isn’t one step up and two steps back.