As you may have noticed, it's been a while since the last entry. A derby day defeat can knock the stuffing out of you at the best times, but in the 87th minute? Heartbreaking.
A week of taunts, countless debates fighting your corner and regrets followed, before a real six-pointer. If the Second City Derby was all about pride, the trip to Hull was all about the points. Three magic points that would do its fair share to raise morale levels in the Blue half of the city. We went, we saw, we conquered.

But, I'll come back to that. Let's start at the very top. It was one heck of a derby, full of passion, commitment and sheer determination to 'give as good as we got'. The Blues started like a team with a clear goal. They fought for every ball and hurried each and every Villa player in possession. Blues had the majority of the possession and they looked a slick, efficient side, but there was something lacking. That little bit of magic seemed to be missing from the performance, but with James McFadden on the pitch, fans always remained hopeful that he would provide the spark.
What happened next? McFadden injured his thigh and was subbed off shortly after...Damn.

During the second half, Villa did look dangerous, but Blues always looked comfortable; it was clear that this game would be settled by the odd goal. It was all about which manager would be brave and take the punt. O'Neill had Carew, McLeish had Chucho. Who would gamble first would probably end up victorious. The rest, as they say, is history. O'Neill gambled first, and Carew nodded the ball across the area for Gabby Agbonlahor to finish.

There are few worse feelings as a football fan than leaving your ground listening to the taunts and cheers of your deadliest rivals, having been beaten at home. However, it is not all doom and gloom. Blues fought long and hard, as the team worth less than £30 million gave O'Neill's £80 million superstars a real run for their money.

On the day, the only difference between the sides was a bit of magic provided by a world class striker. If Blues had someone like Emile Heskey who could play alongside Chucho, then they would have been a completely different prospect for Villa to face. What was clear, was that Alex McLeish has one big job left on his desk. He needs to encourage the team to create chances when they have possession in the opposition's final third. Lee Bowyer was exquisite, but he doesn't have the pace to bomb on beyond the last man in support of the strikers.

McLeish will hope that the signing of Teemu Tainio helps in that respect. Tainio played at right back against Villa, and he was absolutely sensational. An injury on international duty worried fans at home, but a quick recovery led to a performance of class. It was clear that Tainio is a player with a footballing brain, who is not afraid to put his body on the line for the cause.

One must applaud Villa for the fact that they came to St Andrews and they did beat us (eventually), however, Blues fans and players can take great heart from the performance. Possibly the greatest compliment that can be paid to the team is this - Pundits and football fans alike agreed that if asked which team was a top 6 team going for Europe, the vast majority would have picked Blues on that performance.

Plenty of plaudits but no points later, Blues travelled up to Hull for a crucial game against a team who will be there or thereabouts come the end of the season. Without 10 first team players, Alex McLeish couldn't fill the subs bench and had to provide a squad number to an academy player who took the 6th place on the subs bench. Garry O'Connor was asked to travel even though he was ill, as Blues struggled to field a strong side.

On the plus side, Scott Dann made his eagerly awaited debut in a Blues shirt, while Chucho was finally given free reign. Blues started well again, and it looked as if they were going to go on to win this absolutely crucial game. The performance was once again good, but the result was the most important thing. Garry O'Connor's header sent the away fans into delerium. It was a magnificent header and just rewards for the team and fans.

In both games, Roger Johnson was the stand-out performer, and he deserves a very special mention. It is clear that the boy has talent, and he has adapted to Premier League football with aplomb. It is now up to Johnson to help Scott Dann to settle in, with tough games against Sunderland (in the cup) and Bolton to come.

With the Board's farewell game, at home to Bolton, coming up, it will be a week full of memories, thank-you's and goodbye's. The kings (and queen) are dead, long live the kings...