Certainly the play-off horse has well and truly bolted but a mid-table position will still be a result in the circumstances although there still remains a lot to be done to accomplish that scenario.

Garry Monk is still the man for me and most Bluenoses and inwardly he must be tearing his hair out. Options are limited in defence and midfield, while in attack most would have agreed with his move to give the Juke a rest and let Vassell have a run against Millwall. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but probably Blues need to stick to their tried and tested method with the Juke as a traditional target man.

Reinstating Mbabti and Mahoney again was a decision many might have agreed with as Jota has been ineffectual and Maghoma blowing hot and cold but maybe too many players have hit the wall. Certainly a return to winning ways is desperately needed and should mean a return to our ‘normal’ line-up with the likes of Vassell, Mbati and Mahoney as substitutes. Davis’ return to proper match fitness is also vital to any recovery plans.

Then came Preston, and with four defeats on the bounce some doubters may be wondering whether Monk has gone over all Zola or even worse Steve Cotterill.

In truth Hull City and possibly Millwall apart, any of the games could have gone another way but that’s no consolation with the EFL hatchet men lying in wait. Yet in the game at Deepdale we had treble the amount of shots and double the amount of corners and should have been out of sight by half-time but we’re not getting the rub of the green and it’s easy to get into a losing rut in the championship jungle.

We certainly deserved something from the game and it was heartbreaking to lose in Fergie time added on by referee Scott Duncan. A name that sounds suspiciously northern and might also account for him ignoring a legitmate Blues penalty claim and not sending off a repeat foul offender in the Preston team. However,it was great to see the massive 5,000 plus Blues’ following and the late winner was a real kick in the proverbials for them.