Relatively confident, mind. Not wholly confident.

They're not too good to go down.

They're just as good and as bad as seven or eight other clubs down there.

Plymouth now clearly included. Quite where my faith in the reign of Good King Gunn comes from, I'm not too sure.

Wander round Colney these days and there is clearly a better mood about the place; brisk, purposeful, determined and pretty happy, all things considered.

It won't be for the want of team spirit in these latter stages of the season that City go down; if they go down, they will because the players weren't good enough.

As much as any incoming coaching and managerial team can lift the mood and raise spirits, it can't add any extra two inches of height on every under-sized player concerned; it can't ensure that everyone stays switched on for the full 90 minutes.

Nor can it give Jamie Cureton back that extra half-yard of zip; nor can it give Ryan Bertrand the breadth of experience and strength that comes with ten years in the professional game.

Nor can it make Mark Fotheringham a stone of solid muscle heavier; can it improve overnight the biggest chink in Lee Croft's armour – his final cross; can it grant Carl Cort the knee cartilage of an 18-year-old.

So much of what Gunn and Co have to play with is set in stone that between now and the end of the season, the best they can really hope to do is to find one, tiny tweak that works - or else one, hidden gem that's buried deep within their midst. On that score two names spring to mind – academy skipper Korey Smith and the Essex scaffolder, Cody McDonald.

Smith, by all accounts, is a tenacious little so-and-so; a 'ratter' for want of a better word. He could be a surprise package at right-back if Mr Otsemobor was to fall victim to injury or suspension.

But he won't keep Norwich up. McDonald?

Well, he's living the dream right now – and has been scoring goals for
fun this season.

Which is something that Jamie certainly hasn't. You can't help but wonder whether or not McDonald may be Cort's perfect foil.

McDonald would look to get beyond and in on goal – one, big Cort flick and he'd be away. That's his game. A straw to cling to? No doubt.

But like I said at the start, I'm a cling to any straw kinda guy.

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