Joe Williams is more than happy, perhaps even relieved, to put an end to questions and debate over his fitness and injury record.
The Bristol City midfielder's history with hamstring issues has been no secret since moving to BS3 over two years ago. He described his debut campaign as "probably the toughest year of my life" after making just two appearances through injury before backing that up with 22 Championship games last season.
It led to manager Nigel Pearson deciding against playing him in three fixtures a week and Williams was often a frustrated figure sitting on the bench, sometimes out of the matchday squad, on a Tuesday or Wednesday evening.
Due to the condensed nature of the Championship due to the World Cup break next month and the manager not being blessed with a whole host of options in the middle of the park, Williams broke the trend when he started back-to-back fixtures at home to Queens Park Rangers and Coventry at the beginning of the month in the space of four days.
He then went on a run of starting four games in 10 days to debunk any doubts that his body is struggling to deal with the relentless turnaround of fixtures. In Williams' mind, those injuries and limited game time are now ancient history.
"I've said last time I'll just get my head down," he said. "It was the first good pre-season I've had in... I don't know how long. I had a good pre-season and I'm feeling really good.
"I'm enjoying being fit, the past is the past and we're in the here and now so just crack on with it. Everyone knows how frustrating of a time I've had. But I always knew before I came here that I've done 40 games, 40 games, 38 games. I always knew I could do back-to-back games.
"In my mind, that didn't change or I never doubted the fact that I could do back-to-back games it was just unlucky. I've said it loads, Dave (Rennie) and the physios have been brilliant with me.
"We've corrected a few things that I feel I wasn't doing correctly in the gym now I feel the best I've felt physically and I don't think that is a problem for me anymore, to be honest.
"I'd had little niggles (in the gym) and if you add strength differences on either leg and now they all do the tests and everything is at a perfect level, perfect shape. So without going into too much detail all my scores in the gym and tests are really good now so that's why I'm able to do back-to-back now."
Talking of shaking a monkey off his back, there would have been similar relief when Williams finally grabbed his first goal in City colours away at West Brom 10 days ago. It was his first goal in 826-days when he was playing for Wigan in an 8-0 victory over Hull City.
Two months ago when Williams was in his last press conference, the 25-year-old said his team-mates were giving him a bit of stick for his lack of goals. So he wasted no time in giving it back after sticking it in from close range.
"I gave them a little earful to be fair," he added with a chuckle. "Even though it was a little tap-in."
In all seriousness, it answered Pearson's calls for his midfielders to score more goals and ease the pressure on the strikers. Williams is in agreement with the manager although acknowledges how differing tactics in midfield will impact his goalscoring threat.
For example, in the last two matches City have played with a flat midfield three which allows one player to take a gamble and move into the box. When Andi Weimann plays in the No10, it means he has to be more disciplined to prevent being hit on the counter-attack.
He added: "I wouldn't say it's played on my mind because in different games you have to play different roles. We played as three midfielders and when Andi is playing in the 10 he's been getting forward, getting us goals and obviously he wasn't in the team the other day so one can have a bit more license to get in the box.
"When we play with a two with that link between defence we're trying to lock that counter-attack out and not really getting into the box as much. I do agree with what he's saying, we do need to chip in a lot more goals with the players we've got.
"I think we can really add to our game and improve on it. Wing-backs too. Because we get our wing-backs into the box a lot of the time so midfielders and wing-backs can chip in a lot more.
"It's about having the desire to get in the box and getting on the end of something."
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