Do you trust your instinct, though, SR? If so, what does it tell you? Unfortunately, mine says this is going to be a tough old season with present personnel, tactics and team formations.
I hope I'm wrong, though. Because, at present, it appears that our ten game run last season owed more to the then personnel at the club (i.e. someone else's team), especially the now departed McNulty and Omeonga (sp.?), than to any tactical or motivational genius on the part of PH. And that, allied to the apparent fact that NL had utterly lost the changing room, so the new guy was warmly welcomed, could be argued were the factors responsible for the good run.
This is PH's team. It consists largely of lower English division players who he signed.
As you rightly say, there is a long way to go. And I'm willing to persevere with him for a bit longer, too.
But the present prognosis is not positive. And things need to change for it to improve.