Have I missed much? Apparently not...

YOU know that feeling of trepidation you get when you walk back into your house after a holiday?

That heavy feeling about the bills you'll find on the doormat, hoping there have been no unwelcome visitors in the house while you've been away.

(If you have teenage kids - which I don't - probably wondering if the house is actually standing in the first place).

Well it's not that bad.

So what do we know?

Tony Mowbray has apparently left for Celtic.

He claims matters were 'strained' with Jeremy Peace over squad number and transfer policies. We knew that long before he left - I suspect Peace's take may be different and the truth will fall somewhere between. It generally does. If your team are 20th out of 20 then you'd hardly expect any manager or chairman to be walking around the building hand-in-hand...

But I do know that Peace and Mowbray have spoken this week. Those discussions, more of an 'exit' meeting if you like, were very amicable and there was a genuine warmth. So much for any fall-out. Mowbray's name isn't as tarnished among the Albion board as others would make out.

Mowbray's sorry for the fans. Of course he is. (You can read what our senior sports writer Colin Tattum has to say here)

Albion are saying little about his replacement. Fair enough. Diplomacy and acting with a spot of dignity isn't always a bad thing.

Boring and frustrating for yourselves, infuriariting for us in the media.

And what of those replacing him?

The same favourites are those who were looking good before I left. Irvine, McInnes, Ferguson.

Basically not much has changed.

Work did manage follow me to Malta and the resort of Bugibba.

Scattered among the many shops, bars and restaurants was one called 'Baggies'. I've no idea whether it was a store or pub or otherwise - it was boarded up and shut for business.
Not a good sign...

But then the 'Yam Yam' store (I kid you not - it was some kind of mini-convenience shop) was doing roaring trade when I popped in. There were also lot of Scots in the region.

Omens, signs from above and speculation? What to make of it all?

In any case, knowing what I do after a week off, I reckon the next Albion manager's accent may have a tinge of Scottish to it...