THERE'S an old cliché in football that you can't win the league in the first few months but you can certainly lose it.

We're well positioned in third place at the moment just three points off leaders Watford and we're doing well.

It's no coincidence that the gaffer has picked up September's Coca-Cola Championship Manager of the Month award and Filipe Teixeira has been short-listed for Championship Powerade Player of the Month.

The manager is brilliant.

He has great knowledge and is passing that on to all the players, who are performing for him.

I think the gaffer and Mark Venus are so successful because they know how to get their ideas across to the players.

That was epitomised in the two performances this week as we thrashed QPR 5-1 and then dug out a 1-1 draw against a stubborn Stoke side.

The fans turned out in numbers against Rangers and were great as usual.

We scored five great goals and put in a very pleasing performance.

Everyone saw last night what Stoke are all about.

They're direct and physical with some good individuals up top.

We battled on through and were disappointed we didn't come away with a win.

We showed we are capable of competing physically as well as technically.

Filipe showed that as much as anyone and I hope he wins the award he is up for because he is new to it all in England and to have started like he has is great credit to him as a person.

He's a great character and technically he is very talented.

We're fortunate to have him.

When he gets kicked he just gets up and goes again.

It's never a problem to him because he knows it means the team is progressing in games.

He's learning English and he's got big Pele to help with that.

He's a quiet lad in any environment and just let's his feet do the talking.

We're unbeaten in six league games now and have only dropped four points in that time.

But we've got another tough game on Saturday.

We're all keen to finish on a high and get three points before the international break.

Hopefully we'll come away with another away win but the only downside to that is we'll be subjected to Martin Albrechtsen's dodgy music in the dressing room.

Then again, he may keep his head down this week after being spotted in Selfridges having his eye-brows professionally done.

Need I say anything else!

Personally, it's exciting times for me on the club and country front.

After the Southampton game I will be joining up with the Scotland squad for what are probably the biggest two matches in the country's recent history as we try to hang onto our dream of Euro 2008 qualification against Ukraine and Georgia.

It's all very tight in Group B.

There are just two points separating us in top spot, Italy in second and France in third, with only three games remaining.

We've given ourselves a great opportunity of qualifying and we'll go through the same preparations and make sure we're ready for the challenge ahead.

The boys know what is expected.

A lot of them are playing in the top-flight in England or for the Old Firm and we've seen recently what they're capable of for country and for club in the Champions League.

I think the whole of Scotland is ready for this.