If that wasn't bad enough, then four of our next five fixtures after that are against the "Big 4" with a home game against Bolton sandwiched in between them, although some will say our home opener against Champions Manchester United is a home banker!
The festive period looks if so it might not have any cheer at all as we play Arsenal at home on Boxing Day and a trip to the Madejski on New Year's Day. We finish the season with a nice trip to one of our favourite grounds; The Riverside Stadium before our final game of the campaign at home to Fulham.
On paper this is pretty much the most difficult fixture list we could have got. No month is easy due to the fact that if there are winnable home games, then the away trips are nasty, and vice-versa. Still, you have to play everyone during the season but it would have been nice not to have had the "Big 4" so early on!
Now we just face two months of waiting before our trip to Pride Park...