Harty: Where could Hinshelwood take Worthing FC? And what does long-term future hold for Brighton, Wolves and Aston Villa?

As always the phrase ‘never off duty’ was again prevalent as the worst kept secret in Worthing, Adam Hinshelwood’s third arrival at Woodside Road, was breaking while I was enjoying a beer or two on the terrace.

Was I shocked? Yes and no. Speaking as part of the board who first appointed him in December 2013, I know what a good manager he is – and if he realises his full potential he will manage one day in the Football League.

The crux of the argument is now, while it was a non-starter 12 years ago, managing Worthing in the EFL is not an impossibility.

The bottom line is that after a degree of uncertainty the best manager ever to take charge of Worthing (sorry Barry Lloyd) is back in the dugout, so let’s just all enjoy it however long it lasts.

Back in Spain, it probably won’t come as a huge shock but I do enjoying sitting in bars talking to fans of other clubs about football!

I’ve had my place down here since 2018, and it’s been fascinating to hear other supporters’ perceptions of the Albion. This week has been no exception. On Saturday I had a beer with a couple of lads from the Midlands, one was Villa, the other Wolves.

Both were very complimentary of the Albion, with a huge admiration for the epic journey we’d been on – from 92nd in the Football League looking into the abyss to playing in Europe less than 30 years later.

Our levels of recruitment were also talked about, and my friend from the Black Country was astounded at the quality of players we keep churning out and the subsequent transfer revenue (especially from Chelsea!).

But the most telling part of the conversation were the predicted long-term prospects for our respective teams.

My Wolves compatriot conceded in the short term he couldn’t see beyond a long, hard winter culminating in relegation next May. He also lamented the prospect of bouncing straight back given the ultra competitive nature of the Championship.

But I flipped the question with my Villa colleague, where did he see the Albion in five years’ time? His answer very interesting.

He felt, despite being former European champions, Villa were almost comparable with the Albion and that we would both regular compete in the top ten of the Premier League for the foreseeable future.

He predicted we’d both flirt with Europe on occasions, but ultimately neither would be able to fully compete with the big-money clubs, in terms of wages and transfer fees – unless either club ended up with foreign ownership with significant funding like Man City and Newcastle. And did either of us want that sort of owner?

Without the odd excitement of a cup run or a European sortie, is this, for both clubs, as good as it gets? It’s quite sobering in some ways but ultimately realistic.

Then again, fans of most or all the 72 EFL clubs would probably snap our hands off at the prospect of that...