HOW would the average Wanderers fan assess the season so far?

Fair to middling? Encouraging rather than exciting? Some of the ultra-critical might even say disappointing, considering they kicked off in August with such high expectations.

In any event, the team of 1998-99 is surely not a patch on the 96-97 lot that dominated the division en-route to a spectacular and record-breaking promotion back to the Premiership! They're certainly inferior on the defensive side.

How short and selective is the memory!

It may come as a surprise to those critics and detractors to learn that Wanderers - for all their so-called faults and failings - are within striking distance of the position they were in two years ago when they took Division One by storm. Six points to be precise, but having played one game less.

And this so-called suspect defence has conceded fewer goals than the back four which had Gerry Taggart and Chris Fairclough as its experienced and rock solid central duo.

No wonder Colin Todd expressed satisfaction as he approached the turn of the year.

It's true that two years ago Wanderers were top of the table and playing with all the confidence of a team that was determined to stay there. But there was no suggestion at that stage that they'd turn the second half of the season into a procession and end up winning the Championship by 18 clear points.

Today they lie sixth, just inside the play-off zone, and there are even pessimists who fear they might actually miss 'the cut'.

But they are ignoring the fact that the team is playing with a new-found confidence and competence. Having conceded just three goals in eight games, taking 18 points from a possible 24, they appear have put their defensive problems behind them and are as equipped as any team in the division to claim the second automatic promotion place - assuming it doesn't all go pear-shaped for Sunderland.

Jon Newsome and Paul Warhurst have had a lot to do with the improvement on the defensive front; there's no doubting that and it's unfortunate Wanderers weren't able to keep them a his centre-back pairing.

But Mark Fish has returned to strike up a partnership with Warhurst in a defence that has kept successive clean sheets and there's no question that Wanderers are a completely different defensive proposition than the team that two months ago couldn't manage a shut-out if their lives depended on it.

Todd knows that a good run now would silence the doubters once and for all.

"We had a bit of a blip when we lost four on the bounce," he acknowledged. "But I always felt it would only be a matter of time before we cam good again. Now we have to maintain it.

"We are going in the right direction. We have shown a lot of consistency and character. The players are together and the team spirit is magnificent."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.