Hello blog readers! I’m back at Elland Road for another entry into my African adventure in Yorkshire. We found our new cult hero in Quinzinho, or The Quicker, last time out, only for this to be offset by our ever porous defensive line. Can we make improvements in the middle part of Season 2?

A reminder of where we’re at,

As ever, the League Cup gives us a chance to make amends and steady the ship, but we need a last minute prod home from a corner for The Quicker to seal the win.

The Quicker is on it again at home to Leicester but Koumba has other ideas and the visitors take advantage of their extra man. With no restrictions on African players, Obiorah turns the knife.

It’s not exactly the fairytale of Dwight Yorke at Villa Park and even with 11 men, we having problems.

Hopefully it’s just a two game blip. It’s our turn to score 4 and this time with no reply. Our front four sharing the goals. Man I loved that Coventry away kit…..

Another four-goal haul, but this is getting silly now. Oh how I would have loved Jardel and Batistuta when doing my South American Newcastle save. Bakayoko is playing upfront with The Quicker now and it’s having positive effects.

League Cup time again and rising City run us mighty close. Sub Yeboah calmly slots his penalty to show he’s always in our hearts and minds.

We’re just scoring for fun now. I quickly check i haven’t loaded CM96/97 by mistake.

I’d love to get Efan Ekoku to Elland Road.

Only the 3 goals at home to Everton, but it’s left late to seal the deal. Tony with another textbook penalty effort.

Are the goals fading away? I’d take a regular 2-0 win over some of the results we’ve had this season. We’re entertaining for the neutrals but it’s trying my patience a lot of the time.

I certainly would have taken a 2-0 at White Hart Lane. Another bogey side for us

I rest a few players for the 3rd round of the FA Cup for the visit of Crewe but we’ll have to do it all again to progress. This could have seriously backfired on me, but we enter the new year still in both cups, so that’s progress of sorts…

You’re going nowhere son….

League Cup quarter final time and despite wanting away, Baka follows Tony’s example and we’re on for a semi!

We’re playing really well at the moment. That feeling when the team clicks and you know who you can rely on to deliver the goods is always pleaseing.

We almost need extra time again until Bala Garba pops up with a late, late winner

Ten man Boro put up a hell of a fight, but in the end we persist and it’s another three points to celebrate on the road

If we’re going to progress in the FA Cup, we keep seeming to want to do it the hard way

Matt Le Tissier and his gummy friends are sent packing and Dominic Iorfa shows who is he best performing AMC in the league. Makes you think.

Unfortunately, Dom is less clinical in the FA Cup replay and that’s the end of this cup journey for another season

Still, at least we still have the League Cup but after a 2-2 draw in the first leg, nothing is a Given at this point.

Disappointingly after the international break we lie down and roll over at St James’ Park and travel home with the gutted feeling of being close to a Wembley day out. The players will need some picking up after this

Want-away forward Bakayoko helps pick the boys up, but only just, striking a double late into the game

Almost time to wrap up this middle section of the season with a visit to the Reebok and it’s another three goals and three points to finish on for another week.

Amazingly, despite all those goals and points, we’ve only moved from 9th to 7th, but, we’re only 4 points away from the second champions league slot. Can we find some form next week and climb the table?

As the table shows, we’re scoring an average of 3 goals a game, which is great, but also conceding nearly 2 a game. We’re nothing if not entertaining at the moment, but can we mould this into something meaningful before I run out of patience?