Slumbering giants get going, Scunthorpe refuse (yet again) to die quietly and are Cov now contenders?

Two big sides who need to be watched carefully

Notts Forest and Reading showed last season that they have plenty of quality; at their best, Forest were as good as anyone in the division while Reading finished last year brilliantly. Both have begun this season erratically but picked up big wins on Saturday and they will kick on from here.

The Irons fight on

Scunthorpe should be making a graceful exit from this division. Having lost their two star strikers over the summer, they start this season by having to replace their star manager with a novice. And yet their victory at Watford puts them 6 points clear of the relegation zones and gives Ian Baraclough his second win in five days. Footballing snobs will continue to doubt them but at the moment there are plenty of more likely relegation candidates.

Time to take Cov seriously?

A 3-0 win over notorious travel-shy Barnsely may not be a massive shock but Aidy Boothroyd’s side look worthy of their sixth place. They are sound all over, solid defensively with more creativity in attack than many credit them with. The play-offs are a realistic ambition.

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