The frustration of international breaks interrupting the first half of the domestic season is nothing new but offers, if nothing else, a natural time to pause, to review and preview.
It is safe to say that Stuart Kettlewell and everyone at Fir Park will be happy with the start that has been made but that is no guarantee of future success.
To recap: we brought in an astonishing 17 players in one of the biggest summer squad overhauls in memory. Manager Kettlewell will say last year he was working within the limitations of squad and budget imposed by previous decisions. There is no such alibi now for he may consider his first true season in full control.
The League Cup was not pretty in the group stage but first place was secured nonetheless. Kilmarnock arrived at Fir Park in the last 16 and were, eventually, dispatched. Weakened and distracted by Europe they may have been, but a first cup tie triumph against top-flight opposition in over two years – and just a second since 2018! - is not to be sniffed at. This tournament can be considered at par even if we lose to Dundee United in the quarter-final this month and a positive success with another victory.
United will visit Fir Park after we resume league business on Saturday away to Aberdeen, who have made an incredible start to life under new manager Jimmy Thelin. They have won every game under the Swedish coach but performances suggest they are not invincible. A positive result here would add further weight to the hope we are in for a solid season.
The reason for optimism so far, it is fair to say, is based at the back end of the pitch rather than the front, which has been severely hampered by injuries. Liam Gordon already looks an inspired signing – a rare example of when we needed a specific type of player to fill a precise role, and simply went out and signed him. While his own game is perhaps kept simple, he organises and improves those around him.
Liam Kelly's departure was not feared by many and the steady, if yet unspectacular, performances of Ashton Oxborough have justified this. Stephen O'Donnell and Ewan Wilson – the latter keeping the more experienced Steve Seddon out the side – have been inspired at wing-back after slow starts, despite being at the opposite ends of their careers.
The rest is more of a question mark which could yet go either way. Lennon Miller has perhaps not hit the heights consistently yet but having been played out of position in an advanced role this is understandable. Virtually no other player is guaranteed a spot at present which breeds healthy competition for places but means we have no core to fall back on should form fade.
Kettlewell sprung another surprise after a season without a winger by suddenly signing two. Zimbabwean international Tawanda Maswanhise has impressed already and while Jair Tavares has yet to feature, we now have options that were previously unavailable. The attack – with star signing Apostolos Stamatelopoulos largely unavailable – looks a work in progress. Zach Robinson offers effort and hold up play but no goal threat while Moses Ebiye has three goals already – two crucial – but probably lacks in overall play. Tony Watt and Jack Vale are among other possibilities.
After the annoyance of consecutive goalless draws against Partick Thistle and Ross County, nerves were jangling and tempers fraying. A narrow away loss to Rangers offered some hope but it was the cuffing of Hearts which truly changed the mood and grinding out three points in Perth – in exactly the way we would have lost last season – confirmed the current optimistic slant.
After United, there is St Mirren and Hibs before the next break. It will not be forgotten that last season's good start came to a juddering halt with a tough September so this month, rather than the last, is much more likely to define the season. We eagerly anticipate what comes.