My first game in charge of the Owls was sure to be an emotionally charged one. The fans, still undecided about me as a manager and livid with Dave Allen for sacking Brian Laws gave out a deafening roar as the players took to the Hillsborough turf for the game against recently relegated Charlton.

The fans were cheering even louder by the end of the match, my team kicked off the new era with a barnstorming display, winning the game 3-0 - a bittersweet debut for Abou Diaby, who scored two goals, earning himself the man of the match award but was then sent off in the final minutes for a second bookable offence.

Nevertheless it was the perfect start to my managerial reign and the radio phone ins were soon packed with delighted fans praising the teams attacking display.

Good news arrived shortly before our League Cup first round tie away against Bradford, with the arrival of Theo Walcott on a season long loan from Arsenal. He will be battling it out with Johnson for the right midfield berth, but has not arrived in time to take part in the tie.

The Yorkshire derby set off at a frenetic pace, with the League Two side taking a surprise lead in the third minute. However, my team ground them down, eventually coming away with a 2-1 victory, courtesy of goals from Pato and Watson, to seal our passage into the second round.

The next match saw us travel to newly promoted Bristol City for a vital match against another team expected to be involved in the relegation battle. The game got off to a worrying start with Hobbs being sent off in the sixteenth minute. However, these fears were allayed with goals from Pato and Tudgay giving us a comfortable 2-0 lead. The victory was overshadowed somewhat by the late sending off of Watson, taking our growing list of indiscipline to three red cards in two matches, it also saw us end the match in a farcical state, with only two recognised defenders on the pitch.

I felt that my side were lacking a bit of fire power up front, with Sodje and Jeffers not really clicking as a partnership as yet. So I decided to make what would be my first and last signing of the transfer window. The 1.4 million acquisition of Argentinean starlet Mauro Zarate from Qatari club Al-Sadd raised a few eyebrows amongst the supporters, but they were happy to see funds being made available to the manager, despite the clubs debts.

Despite an excellent start to the season, I read my players the riot act. Telling them that with such a small squad, we simply could not afford to be collecting silly suspensions as it would cost us dear against some of the more clinical teams in the division.

With this in mind, my side welcomed Norwich to Hillsborough and it was pleasing to see my team in the headlines for all the right reasons this time. A debut goal for Zarate plus an unlikely brace from Lee Bullen coming in to replace the suspended Steve Watson saw my team run out comfortable 4-1 winners.

The month ended with the visit of Crewe in the second round of the league cup. My team demolished the hapless League One side 6-0, with the rampant Zarate bagging four goals - he already looks like becoming a cult hero amongst the Hillsborough faithful.

September starts in a positive mood, chairman Dave Allen has called to say he is very impressed at the way I have risen to the challenge of managing the Owls. He also noted the affect my loan signings have had in galvanising the team - this view is compounded with Abou Diaby scooping the Player of the Month award for August.

The month begins with my side travelling to Deepdale to face the only other team in the division to boast a one hundred percent record from their first three games, Preston. Despite being second best for large parts of the match, my team dug in deep and managed to snatch the victory, with a late goal from Walcott enough to seal a 1-0 win.

This was followed by a home match again Crystal Palace, which saw Lee Bullen sent off in the twenty-fifth minute. However, my team rallied, with Sodje in inspirational form. He grabbed all four goals to seal an impressive 4-1 victory for my depleted side.

A tricky trip to Loftus Road was up next, with Pato returning from a two week break to replace Clarke who hadn’t exactly taken his chance to impress, despite a four game run in the side. The match again ended in disgrace for one of my defensive player, with Diaby picking up a second yellow card for petulantly arguing with the referee. Fortunately, a Zarate goal in the sixty-third minute ensured our winning run remained intact.

However, I was livid with Diaby, my team had now had five players sent off in their opening six games - this was Diaby’s second red card of the season. He received a severe dressing down in front of his shocked team mates in the dressing room after the match. He agreed that his temper had got the better of him and promised not to let the side down again. I stated that the teams excellent run of form would only continue if we could keep our best players on the pitch at all times and we couldn’t keep relying on moments of individual brilliance to dig us out of the mire. I hoped my words had hit home with a few of the players.

We were without Diaby for our next match, the Yorkshire derby against a side that is notoriously a bit of a bogey team for the Owls, Hull at the KC Stadium. The match saw a lionhearted performance from the young centre back, Richard Wood, who’s headed goal in the first half was enough to ensure we gained maximum points from the fixture.

Next up was the first real test for my rejuvenated side. A tough looking home fixture against promotion chasing Wolves. Despite taking an early lead through a Zarate penalty, Wolves pegged us back with just ten minutes remaining. However, a last gasp goal from Akpo Sodje saw us gain a vital victory and sparked wild celebrations amongst the fans.

This was followed by a talismanic performance from Hobbs, who scored a goal, earning himself the man of the match award in a 2-0 victory away at Blackpool. Three days later and we were at home to Premier League Derby in the third round of the League Cup. An early goal from Zarate looked like sending us through to the fourth round. However, a calamitous last ten minutes, kicked off by the dismissal of Spurr, saw us concede two goals to lose the match and our unbeaten record.

Despite the disappointment of the cup exit, there was no hangover in our final match of the month. Goals from Sodje, Zarate and two from man of the match Watson saw us earn a comfortable 4-1 victory at home to Stoke.

With ten wins out of ten and nearly a quarter of the season played, we are sitting pretty, seven points clear at the top of the table. Surely know one would have predicted this before the start of the season. Despite not wanting to get too carried away with our early season form, the chairman has phoned me, stating that if we can continue this excellent run into October then we may have to revise our targets for the season.

The month begins at home to a newly promoted Scunthorpe side who are in twenty-second place. The match was a victory procession from start to finish, two goals from Pato ensuring a comfortable 4-0 victory, when in actual fact it could have been double figures, such was our dominance.

Next us was a trip to Turf Moor to face Burnley. It was another impressive performance from my team, with goals from Pato and Diaby completing a 2-0 victory.

An out of sorts Leicester team lying in thirteenth place in the division were the next visitors to Hillsborough. Despite their position, they had a quality team and I urged my players not to take them lightly. Things were going badly as we went into half time 1-0 down, with our unbeaten league record under threat. However, a Diaby inspired second half showing saw us score three goals - including Jeffers’ first of the season - to complete a 3-1 turnaround.

A trip to Layer Road saw us come up against a resilient Colchester side, who despite being second from bottom, managed to hold my side at bay for the first half. However, in the second half their resistance was broken, with goals from Pato and Tudgay completing a 3-0 victory for my side. It was a slightly flattering result coming from an unconvincing display.

The hectic schedule was beginning to take its toll on some of the players in my squad, so I was forced to rest Suarez, Hobbs and Watson for the important home match against third placed West Brom. It proved to be a bridge too far for my team and exposed the limitations of my squad. We were comprehensively beaten by a strong West Brom side, 3-0, losing our hundred percent record in the process. There was a further blow with the news that Walcott had picked up a thigh strain and would miss the next three weeks.

However, not wishing to be to downhearted, I told my players that all good things must come to an end and it was how we respond to this setback that mattered now.

We were still top of the table and had an important away match against Coventry to prepare for. My team proved that it was a blip and not the start of a slump in form as they smashed the Sky Blues for five! With my young guns brutally exposing the ageing Coventry defence, we ran out 5-0 winners.

The final match of the month saw us welcoming ninth placed Ipswich to Hillsborough. We ripped the East Anglians to pieces, with the striking partnership of Tudgay and Pato combining to devastating affect. The match saw us complete a 6-0 victory, with a hat trick for Tudgay and two goals from Zarate - taking his tally to 15 goals in 17 appearances.

Despite a first defeat of the season my team had shown that they had the mettle to be a force in this division. With six wins out of seven league games earning myself and Diaby the manager of the month and player of the month awards respectively, I was called to Mr. Allen’s office to discuss the clubs future.

He said that as a result of the clubs fantastic start to the season he wanted to see the team making a concerted push for promotion. Rather than battling it out simply to stay in the division, my teams excellent performances had breathed new life into the club and the feel good factor had returned Hillsborough for the first time in years.

November started in much the same way as October had ended as we travelled to Home Park to take on Plymouth. They were no match for the rampaging Owls as we won the game 5-0, Pato was in inspirational form bagging a hat trick.

This was followed by the South Yorkshire derby at home to Barnsley. After a dire first half in which neither side managed to get a foot hold in the game, my side came good in the second. We dominated what was a pulsating second half of the game, running out with a 4-1 victory.

Next up was a tough looking fixture against a Watford side who had recently been relegated from the Premiership. As one of the promotion favourites they had had a slow start to the season, currently in tenth position. My side turned a potentially tricky match on its head with a sensational team performance, routing the home side 4-0. Such was the quality of the display, that my side were clapped off by both sets of supporters at the final whistle who were acknowledging that they had witnessed a special performance.