Hessenthaler will be missed

The great news is that I´ve taken my first steps on the training ground this week. It was just some light jogging, but if everything goes to plan, I should hopefully be back in action in about two or three weeks.

I´m still feeling a little discomfort but I´m sure it´s nothing to worry about, and having been stuck on the sidelines for seven weeks now, I´m just desperate to get playing again. Believe me, there´s nothing worse than watching on the sidelines while the lads are out there playing.

While we´re still stuck down in the relegation zone, the results and performances have definitely picked up since Stan Ternent came in. Draws against Sunderland and Reading certainly lifted the lads and we´ve beaten Coventry and Plymouth. We also did well to only go down by a single goal at Portsmouth in the FA Cup, so there´s plenty of hope and belief that we will avoid the drop.

The advantage we have over the teams around us is that we´ve been in this situation before. We know exactly what to expect in the coming weeks and months and we have the mentality to cope with it. When you´re in a dogfight, it´s all about pulling together and just grinding out results. You´re playing a cup final every week and if we´re honest, it
doesn´t matter how we play, as long as we get the three points.

We have no game tomorrow, but next up is Watford and it could well be a good time to play them following their Carling Cup defeat against Liverpool. Maybe the lads there will be in a bit of a lull after gearing themselves up for such a big occasion, and if that´s the case, we´ve got to be on our game to make sure we take full advantage.

The great news for the boss is that all the lads that have been injured are now on the way back, and although I´m not sure if any will be back in time for the game at Vicarage Road, it will be fantastic for the gaffer that he´ll have a bigger squad to chose from. The likes of Matthew Jarvis, Mamady Sidibe, Jason Brown and Tommy Johnson have been in and out the treatment room like me, and all can make an impact in the coming weeks.

Finally, I´d like to wish Andy Hessenthaler all the best following his loan move to Hull City. It couldn´t have been the easiest of situations going from managing the team to playing again, and although I´m not sure whether that was the reason he´s gone, he´ll be a great addition to Peter Taylor´s side as they step up their bid for promotion. Hess is one of those players who will always give 110 percent and Hull will definitely benefit from his vast experience.