What made it all the more special was that 18 months earlier, I looked to be on my way out of the club when Paolo Di Canio was there. He'd banished me and one or two others from the training ground. Don't get me wrong, some of his coaching sessions were enjoyable but there are ways and means of managing experienced pros and some of his man-management left a lot to be desired.
Since there's no final on Saturday, our next game is against Porto next Wednesday. When we arrive in Seixal [on Wednesday], everyone will go to their rooms. I hope the players sleep as well as I do, which is to say that they don't sleep at all. That's what I wish for them. That they don't sleep and instead think a lot, like I'm going to think.
Friday's here and so is our big quiz. Welcome back to the Friday Football Quiz, where we give you 20 questions spanning the depths of general knowledge: we take pride in this being the hardest football quiz on the internet, so get your thinking cap on and get cracking. 15 and above is a very good score in our books and if you manage to get 100 per cent, remember to show off in the comments.
The fourth round of the League Cup has already served up some marvellous entertainment. Diego Gomez's long-drive-heavy four-goal haul; two fine assists for Federico Chiesa and the daftest of red cards for Hugo Ekitike; a first win of the season for Wolves; Lincoln forcing Chelsea to dig deep; third-tier Cardiff's win at Burnley.
Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan gathered the ball just inside the area minutes later and beat his marker before drilling a low, hard shot across goal, but Callum Burton dealt with it. Sam Smith did brilliantly to bring down a lobbed pass inside the box in the 25th minute and hold off his defender before releasing a powerful shot, but Jack Stevens kept it out.
Nottingham Forest and Ange Postecoglou discovered first-hand at the Swansea dot com Stadium on Wednesday night that just because some players who don't make the grade at Old Trafford immediately, it doesn't mean they aren't talented. Swansea staged an incredible comeback against Postecoglou's new side, scoring three second half goals to overturn a two-nil deficit and progress to the next round of this season's League Cup.
Motherwell began their League Cup adventure with a penalty victory against Clyde and have secured eight points from their first three Group G matches, culminating in a gritty win against Stenhousemuir.
