INCONSISTENT – that’s City in one word up to now.

Anyone who likes a wee bet won’t be able to trust them at this moment in time. They have been coupon busters.

There’s a long way to go but I think the next six weeks or so up to the end of November will tell us a lot. It’s a heavy schedule coming up, bearing mind they’ve also got the JPT and the FA Cup as well.

By the end of that run, you’re up to 20 games – and will have a good idea where you’re at.

You’ve got Donny and their new manager on Saturday and then a clutch of tough matches against Bury, Wigan and Millwall.

After that, there are three more winnable ones against Blackpool, Crewe and Scunny before you play Coventry and Walsall, who are up there.

They’ve certainly got to do better over these next nine games than they have done in the previous 11. It’s been stop-start up to now and they’ve got to get on a bit of a roll.

City are far from alone in that. There are other fancied teams where all has not been well.

Look at Sheffield United, Wigan, Millwall, even Chesterfield who were up there last year; there are teams expected to challenge where everything isn’t always hunky dory.

City are no different but Bury and Burton have shown that if you can get that winning mentality, it’s there for them.

That win at Rochdale was much-needed and reminded everyone what City are capable of.

It was great to see Kyel Reid back and flying and Phil knows all about his strengths and weaknesses. Again, like with Billy Clarke’s injury opening the door for Devante Cole, if it hadn’t been for Paul Anderson breaking his leg then Kyel wouldn’t have come in.

Once again, Phil has got the board’s backing to bring in players of that calibre.

Phil knows Kyel can do a job for him – he gave City that spark last week. On his day, he will make things happen and break open a drab game.

Obviously there’s Marshall as well, a similar sort of player, but that’s the importance of having those options within the squad.

Credit to the board for backing Phil when he has needed more – trust me, that wouldn’t have happened at every club.

Forget the league table right now. With the squad City have got, they will never go down.

I’m not tempting fate but it’s just a matter a time before they are up there. They are seven points off a play-off place but that will change.

If they can find two or three wins on the bounce, that will generate the belief and the confidence. When you’re inconsistent, there are always nagging doubts about which team will turn up from one week to the next.

It affects everyone at the club and the edginess can creep in on and off the pitch. Get a few wins and suddenly there’s that spring in the step – you see that with Bury and Burton.

But I’ll put my neck on the block now. Without sounding blasé, I’ll be very surprised if City – with the players they’ve got - are not in a play-off position come the end of the season.

* John Hendrie, who is a consultant for LawBlacks.com, was talking to Simon Parker