The Man With The Midas Touch

Steve Lomas hopes that when Alan Pardew does take over he, too, has that Trevor Brooking 'Midas Touch'!

The club skipper reckons that Alan should be taking over a club in fine form if Trevor continues his winning ways in the next six games, and says:

"The good thing is we are still winning and Trevor is being his normal laid back self - I keep telling him he has the Midas Touch.

"I hope he can get five wins for us and take us to the top of the table and hopefully, when we get a few players back such as myself and Michael Carrick, and maybe a few loans as well, we can kick on before Christmas so we are not thinking about the playoffs at the end of the year.

"I have obviously played against Alan - but I don't know him that well.

"He has done a very good job at Reading but, without being disrespectful to them, it is a step up for him; but they are hoping to be a Premiership club next season and fought hard to keep him.

"Obviously Alan is in a contract so it is difficult but if Trevor keeps picking up results it will be a case of putting a little bit of pressure on him.

"But I suppose he won't mind a different kind of pressure, taking over a club that will still hopefully be on the run that we are at the minute, and at the right end of the table.

"I don't think that has happened many times and there is a distinct possibility that he takes over a club that is top of the league.

"That would be nice if the lads keep going the way they are going; it is a good run of form so long may it continue."

Steve admits it has been an unsettling period of late, with relegation followed by an exodus - and influx - of players and a change in manager.

"That word 'change' has been the thing; a lot of faces have changed with a lot of people leaving, and if you look at the team it is almost recognisable to the team that was playing last year.

"I think the lads that have come in have done reasonably well so that has been good from the confidence point of view.

"It has been a carry over from last season as well, because we were on such a good run near the end with 13 or 14 games when we were only beaten twice.

"We were more or less in championship form towards the end of last season but obviously it was the start that killed us.

"But the confidence has carried on and that has helped the new players settle in so quickly."

Steve is currently undergoing rehab at Chadwell Heath following an operation in Holland, and says:

"I am hopeful that in six weeks' time I will be playing some sort of football, but that will be dictated to by my ankle."