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Apologies for the pun. But it had to be done.

So Big Wes (not that Big Wes) is made captain for his 400th appearance and we lined up in a 4-4-2.

[Hit the play button or subscribe in iTunes to hear our match report]

The first half was good. Not a classic, not like watching Brazil, or Barcelona. But much better than the dross served up by “the other Steve”. We looked well-drilled, defending high up the pitch, organised in defence, decent in possession. Almost like a football team. However, despite going close a few times, we didn’t really put them under too much pressure (although it has to be said, their defence was outstanding).

The second half was not so good. They came at us much more, making the game much more scrappy as they pushed us back. And then the turning point came when Big “Pele” Adebola came on, changing their formation to a 4-3-3. Lynchio, who till then had been our best player, simply couldn’t cope with Pele’s physical presence and shortly after, Hull had scored (pretty much against the run of the play). Our heads went down, and despite some desperate substitutions, we didn’t really have the personnel to find a way through the Hull defence.

So New Steve knows what he’s up against – a side lacking some cutting edge, wasteful on set pieces and prone to lapses in concentration and confidence – but one that has all the building blocks to be successful. If only we had some more wide players.

All in all, we’re getting better. We’ve just got a long, long way to go.

By the way, Big Wes is a guy in America who received a flood of tweets from people mistaking him for our own Wes Morgan. He’s now decided to become a red and from the sounds of it is enjoying it too! Fair play to the man – welcome to the Garibaldi, Big Wes.

[Hit the play button or subscribe in iTunes to hear our match report]