AS Radio 5 Live built up to Manchester City’s Premier League opener at West Bromwich Albion on Monday, the panel discussed how vital the clash at the Hawthorns was for the Citizens.

The group of respected pundits, plus Robbie Savage, told us that it was a huge, huge game for the visitors after a dramatic opening weekend.

If they could win and then back it up against Chelsea on Sunday then they would open up a considerable five-point gap over the champions, thus striking a telling blow in the title race.

WE ARE IN AUGUST!

It’s bad enough that league tables are being produced after one fixture but already folk are clamouring to make grand statements.

Forget having evidence on which to base such arguments, rush it out there so that you can sit back smugly if it comes to fruition like a tabloid paper with a scattergun approach to transfer rumours who exclaim ‘as we exclusively told you in July’ after a player signs for one of the 20 clubs they linked him with.

The lack of patience is alarming in modern sport; gone is the benefit of doubt while honeymoon periods have grown shorter and shorter.

It may well turn out to be a challenging campaign for Newport County who have a thin and much-changed squad, a new management team and mayhem in the boardroom.

A comprehensive defeat at Cambridge added to the fears of many even if there was encouragement at Wolves on Tuesday evening.

But before Exiles supporters dust down their directions to Braintree, Dover and Welling it’s prudent to note that last season Cheltenham got off to a flying start, winning four of their first six and drawing the other two.

On Saturday they started life back in the National League at Lincoln after enduring the drop (additional note: County took five points from their opening six and were bemoaned a faltering second half of the campaign for ending play-off hopes).

Rugby is a few weeks behind football but similar panic can set in among some supporters when they watch pre-season friendlies.

While Wales’ display in their World Cup warm-up defeat to Ireland at the Millennium Stadium was hugely disappointing, it doesn’t matter a jot when it comes to the long term.

Not many of the players that finished the game will feature in the return fixture in Dublin at the end of the month. In fact, plenty will already be back with their clubs.

Wales will benefit from trimming their squad and can knuckle down with preparations for the tricky task of slugging it out with England, Australia and Fiji.

If they fail to make it out of the ‘group of death’ then it won’t be down to how the second string performed against the Irish.

Similarly we should all be wary of being given false hope when Newport Gwent Dragons take to the field for the first time tomorrow evening against Nottingham in Ystrad Mynach.

Cast your mind back to a morale-boosting evening in the Ebbw Vale rain last August when a stirring late comeback stunned then English champions Northampton.

At the heart of that effort was Andy Powell, who produced a performance of power and determination to suggest that he would be an extremely strong signing.

Sadly the former Wales and Lions number eight didn’t hit those heights again in a Dragons jersey and went on to make just 11 appearances.

Whether it’s in pre-season or in the real thing, coaches are wise to treat the imposters of victory and defeat the same.

Supporters don’t always have that luxury when passions are running high but give it at least a month.