PHEW! What a relief it was to beat Everton on Monday night! After a difficult couple of months, we really needed a pick-me-up against the Blues and thankfully we got it.

But my only worry is I might not get back in the team now because I missed the game through suspension and I thought Steven Reid and Brett Emerton both did magnificent jobs on the flanks.

It was a brilliant performance to get the three points after five straight defeats.

I thought the lads were magnificent in the first half which was greatly encouraging.

The second half was a little bit more jittery in comparison but it was inevitable that a little bit of panic was bound to set it in given what was at stake.

We were just desperate to hold on to what we had and we didn't want to take too many chances going forward.

But I think the lads at the back deserve a lot of credit for the way they performed because apart from the goal, we looked solid.

I think Andy Todd, in particular, has been magnificent since he came back into the team.

He went out on loan to Burnley for a month, which helped him to get his fitness and sharpness back, and he's barely put a foot wrong since he came back here.

I'm delighted for him because he's a great lad and a good, honest, hard-working professional.

In the past, he's been in and out of the team but right now you've got to say he deserves his place on merit.

Barry Ferguson is also another who's beginning to find his feet now.

Some people don't realise just how difficult it is to come into this league and start making an impression from day one.

It does take time to adjust and some players take longer than others.

I know it took me quite a while to get used to it and it must be even harder for someone coming from a different country.

But Barry is starting to look like the top player we all know he is and I'm sure he'll get even better as the season goes on.

I'm sure last week's break in Scotland will have helped all the new lads when it comes to the settling in process.

Like the manager said the other day, we don't really see too much of each other on a day-to-day basis because we only train for a couple of hours and for the vast majority of that time, you don't get chance to talk to people.

That's why it was a great idea to get everyone away because it gave us a chance to get to know the new lads a bit better.

The manager let us unwind with a few glasses of wine and it was also a chance for some of the lads to play a bit of golf.

I don't normally play too much because it hurts my knees but even I couldn't resist a game on that course.