“In terms of the team, I feel we're much, much brighter,” he told us recently. “The signs are good, the signs are positive and we've talked about things that we can improve on and how we're going to try to improve by the end of the season, which is the business end of the season as well.

”We always have meetings [to discuss formations and tactics], that's normal. It’s a normal thing to have meetings and for everybody to discuss, that’s a normal thing and the sign of a healthy dressing room. Boys speaking among it in the changing room, saying what they think we can improve on and what are good ideas as well.