Cardiff City's clash with Stoke City on Wednesday night represents something of a landmark for Steve Morison.
His first game in charge as stand-in boss was that dramatic 3-3 draw against Stoke up in the Potteries, the Bluebirds going three goals down before a dramatic second-half comeback stopped an eight-game losing streak under previous manager Mick McCarthy.
Given the water which has travelled under the bridge since then, it seems like an age ago.
Although that fixture was just five months back, many facets of Cardiff as a football club today already look unrecognisable.
Morison had his doubters, of course, he still does such is the nature of the game, but even his most ardent detractors cannot deny that most changes which have been implemented have served to better the team and club.
With Stoke coming to town for the reverse fixture this week, it seems as good a time as any to stop and reflect on the shift in mood, on and off the pitch, under Morison.
Laying bare the stark contrast between that October 30 meeting between the two teams and Wednesday's clash, Morison said: "We showed great character to come back from 3-0 down to get the draw. We’ve come a long way since then and I like to think we now have a more consistent level of performance. We are miles away from where we were then. We are 17th on 43 points, we have a different team, different squad, we haven’t got Kieffer Moore and it is a different place.
"I’ve got a permanent job now, or as permanent as it can be as a football manager. Stoke was my first game as a manger and we had 23 since then. I’ve gone from standing there at 3-0 down wanting the ground to swallow me up, to take me out of it, to by the end of it feeling amazing. That was the feeling I wanted and the reality is that you only really enjoy it when you win.
"I still get as nervous before every game and you can’t afford to get too high after a win or too low after a defeat because a few days later you have to go again. It is all very real now. We are working towards next year. It is changing every day and you have to be as consistent as possible."
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It was not all plain sailing to begin with. That whirlwind first fixture at Stoke was followed by a 1-0 defeat at home to QPR in Morison's second game.
That game against the R's did represent something of a turning point for Morison and his staff, though.
"It was so easy for teams to score against us," he added.
"After that we tweaked a few things and kept developing and evolving. We eventually came to our current formation, which gets the best out of us from both a defensive and attacking point of view.
"You have to be adaptable in this job and be able to realise that sometimes you have to put your pride and philosophy to one side to do what you have to do to get results. We did that."
Cardiff's early performances under Morison saw a drastic shift in possession stats. The Bluebirds were seeing far more of the ball in stark contrast to the dire stuff being served up under Mick McCarthy and fans were enjoying the change.
But while Morison saw the positives in implementing that shift to a more possession-based game, and the fan plaudits that came with it, he was not too stubborn to swallow his pride and admit change was needed again.
Possession stats dropped, but results and crucially performances continued to improve.
It shows the nimble nature of this still very inexperienced Cardiff coaching staff, another contrast to the entrenched resistance to change under the previous regime, and their capability to learn quickly on the job.
"We had a lot more possession when we first took over," Morison added. "We were doing OK but not winning. We asked the players to ensure when we haven’t got the ball we are in a really good shape and when we’ve got it we try to keep it rather than give it straight back.
"We now get less possession that our opponents, but we have more output once we do get the ball and get more chances and shots.
"The change in personnel has also helped. We’ve now got wing backs who can travel with the ball and go 1 v 1, as well as doing the defensive side better as well.
"We have also seen a number of young lads flourish. It has been really interesting working it all out and going through different stages and phases.
"This isn’t how we initially wanted to play, but you have to be adaptable. If someone is better than you then you have to accept that and try to work out a way of being better than them, rather than saying, 'This is what you are going to do and if we lose, we lose'. That wouldn’t get us anywhere."
It's the sort of thing that Cardiff fans will want to hear. While some are obsessed with metrics such as possession, it is fair to say the majority are far more concerned about winning, as has always been the case.
Morison and his team can only use the cards they have been dealt and while the match-day squads have changed markedly since that first game in charge, the summer will be the time to implement real change. Only then, after a huge transfer window and squad overhaul, will we see the club's vision for what sort of football the Bluebirds want to play moving forward.
But, taking stock right now, Cardiff are undoubtedly in a more encouraging position than when Morison first stepped on to the touchline and he hopes that will drive crowd numbers up this week and for the rest of the campaign.
"It has been a positive start to the job," Morison said, looking back to that first game in charge at Stoke.
"We’ve tried to make it a better and nicer place for everyone to work. That’s the reason why we’ve got much better performances on the pitch and there is a lot more togetherness at the club.
"We will definitely get more than 20,000 [in the stadium] for the Swansea game, but let’s see if we can do it for Stoke."
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