Just over a third of the way in, not flying to the moon.

We are past the third of the season mark. Johnny King, our best ever manager, was fond of space metaphors. It would seem that so far we are not moon bound, we have not really got out of our initial orbit. Our journey into the stratosphere is not what it should be, we are not boldly going where no man has gone before, but set on a course that looks remarkably similar to the past few seasons. 

On Board the spaceship Captain Mellon seems unhappy. Rumour has it that he did not pick any of the new crew that joined at the start of the season. He has complained about a lack of quality on the subs bench, and his broadcasts back to mission control have been decidedly downbeat. Often he seems at a loss to explain why we are not blazing a trail across the sky, he claims that our training missions have been fantastic, just that when we get into the real world it goes a bit wonky. 

Equally, his crew seem unsettled. Lieutenant Hemmings up front has often failed to inspire those around him. Far from looking weightless in space he seems to carry the worries of the world on his shoulders. Alongside him, Eliot Nevit has also failed to do as much as we would hope, albeit his enthusiasm seems greater than Hemmings even if his application sometimes lacks finesse. He has hit the back of the net a few times but not often enough.

The midshipman have improved. Merrie and O'Connor appear to have built a solid partnership together. It's taken time, but we can expect that. Morris, absent for the first few space skirmishes, is almost back to his best, albeit some would prefer him as a central attacker rather than out wide. On the other side of the pitch, sometimes in a galaxy far far away, Hawkes is occasionally sighted showing flashes of the form that had supporters clamouring to sign him. Meanwhile MacAleer has been sent on a space walk, and Nolan has failed to live up to the promise that preceded him.

Below decks Simeu, brought in on loan from planet St Mary's, has shown he has a long and promising career ahead. The worry is he will be called back to the star fleet in January leaving a massive hole in our defence. It's fortunate that the repairs to Davies have been successful and he can hopefully fill the gap left by secret Can-Can performer Jordan Turnbull over the next few weeks. Meanwhile, Bristow is coming on in leaps and bounds and Dacres-Cogley is so impressive that he may be kidnapped by aliens in January. Doohan, at the back, has some great games, but there is still a suspicion that Hewlett would be a better choice, and might move the ball forward more rapidly. 

The rest of the crew are occasionally allowed above decks, in cameo roles. Jameson and Burton, are allowed to take place in short space experiments but then put back in their cages below deck. Others are still under repair. Mumbongo, a long term injury problem, Jolley repaired but not due for action for quite a few months longer.

All we can do is gaze on in awe. There are almost two thirds of the season left. But it's worth remembering, in Space no one can hear you scream.