Even the most optimistic Hull City fans will be pinching themselves at the dream start to their first ever season in the Premier League.
After all, they had been promoted via the Championship play-offs and were odds-on to be relegated.
But after seven games, they are riding high in third place with 14 points from a possible 21.
It was not until a stunning away win at Arsenal, secured by Geovanni's sublime strike, followed up by victory over Spurs at White Hart Lane, that neutrals really began to take note.
Boss Phil Brown, named Barclays Premier League manager of the month for September, told BBC Sport: "It was vital that we got off to a good start.
"I think it was the pride factor. We proved we could travel to places like St James's Park, the Emirates and White Hart Lane and not only give a good account of ourselves but win the games.
"It's exciting times but we're not getting ahead of ourselves. We are seven games into a long campaign."
After the international break, Hull resume against West Ham at the KC Stadium on Sunday before facing Chelsea and Manchester United in the space of three days at the end of October and beginning of November.
Having secured their position in the top-flight, Hull spent a busy summer in the transfer market, and Brown admitted he had to work hard to persuade players such as ex-Barcelona and Benfica star Geovanni and former Lens and Rangers striker Daniel Cousin to join the Premier League new boys.
It's one step at a time. I'm not saying I should be the next England manager by any stretch of the imagination
Phil Brown
To put it mildly, the city of Hull has received plenty of negative publicity over the years.
But Brown explained: "You sit around a table and talk the talk.
"They come to the surrounding areas of Hull and see beautiful countryside, they see a team on the up, an ambitious manager, and an ambitious chairman.
"Fortunately we've been successful on 10 or 11 accounts, and every player who has come into the club has improved the situation.
"If that continues, there's only one way to go."
Brown is a passionate man who loves football and is meticulous in his planning.
For example, he was not afraid to play two up front against Arsenal, whereas other teams would have been happy to play a containing game and aim to hit the opposition on the break.
Hull fans rightly complain that if he was a foreign coach, more pundits would be purring over his tactical nous.
On match days, Brown warms up with the team and is then visible on the touchline with his animated style.
"That's just the way I am," the 49-year-old said. "I've always lived and breathed the game as my wife will testify.
"When a match kick offs , I'm with the players. I want to still be one of them but can't be, but I go through every emotion during the 90 minutes because I feel for them."
BROWN'S MANAGERIAL CAREER
BOLTON (caretaker): September - October 1999
DERBY: June 2005 - January 2006
HULL: December 2006 - present
This is Brown's second full-time managerial position after a disappointing time in charge of Derby County when he was sacked after just seven months
He believes he needed to experience the lows to appreciate the highs and has credited Hull's success with what he learned at Derby.
"It was a very steep learning curve," admitted Brown.
"But there's no such thing as a bad experience as far as I'm concerned. It's what you take from it."
The softly-spoken Brown, from South Shields, was a no-nonsense full-back who played 652 League games for Hartlepool United, Halifax Town and Bolton Wanderers before finishing his playing career at Blackpool at the age of 36.
It was there he moved into coaching under the guidance of the-then manager Sam Allardyce, whom he describes as a great mentor.
Brown receives his Barclays manager of the month award
He left Blackpool for his first foray into management as assistant to Colin Todd at Bolton and even then was aiming high.
In an interview with me at the time he said his ultimate ambition was to become England manager, which seemed an outrageous statement in 1996, but probably not 12 years down the line.
So does Brown still hanker after Fabio Capello's job?
"I'm an ambitious guy and I don't think I've achieved half the things I want to achieve," he said.
"To be a Premier League manager was one of my ambitions, I've achieved that now and I'm fully intending on staying there.
"It's one step at a time. I'm not saying I should be the next England manager by any stretch of the imagination.
"But that was one of my ambitions as a 36-year-old, and at 49 it's still one of my ambitions."
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