"If you look at the league now it is very tight and we just have to start picking up one or two wins - but there is a transitional period while Alan takes over, and I still believe that from where we are now we have got every chance of pushing on later in the season."
Personnel cannot be changed overnight, although Alan has made two signings already, and Trevor adds:
"Alan naturally wants to look at the rest of the squad overall; we have bought Hayden now so that is good because he is versatile and he is going to be a very good addition.
"Robbie has come in at right back so I suppose the next area is possibly looking in the attacking areas but obviously David's injury will have to be assessed."
Trevor says that the period around the upcoming international week will be significant and adds:
"The only slight plus after Coventry is that we go to one game a week for a while which gives Alan the opportunity to get on the training ground with the lads, and you don't have the flurry of matches we have had in recent weeks.
"If we get Spurs and Coventry out of the way there is that opportunity to work with the side ahead of the West Brom game which is looming, and Stoke will probably be called off with the international week."
As for reverting to the comfort of the directors' box, Trevor adds:
"It was strange to be up there but it is weird because you get a much better view up in the stands of what the passing options are, and 'why they didn't make this or that pass?' or see that they could have switched play.
"When you are at ground level it is a totally different viewpoint."
Alan has already said that he will seek Trevor's input now he is in charge, and Trevor says:
"I get on very well with Alan and I think he is going to be very good for the club.
"He is enthusiastic and energetic and you can see already what he is trying to do with the side in pressurising the opposition when we lose it, and looking at little areas where we have to be quicker.
"Overall I am sure he is going to do an excellent job and any way I can help, I have said to him, I will only be too pleased.
"It is a quick flurry of games for him then hopefully in November it will settle down and there is nothing he likes better than working on the training ground with the lads."
As for the Cardiff game, where the 19,000 plus crowd was their biggest in over two decades, as if to illustrate what an attraction West Ham are in the first division, Trevor says:
"It was pleasing to keep a clean sheet because we have got the best defensive record in the league but it is important that we move on, and it is just a balance then between getting the numbers back and defending well as we did on occasions and breaking to get a bit of an earlier ball to hurt the opposition so we can get the supply to the likes of Jermain to score the goals we need.
"I thought it was a decent point and it was the three home draws that means we are in sixth place rather than third or second; so, although it was a good draw we have to do better than three draws at home.
"We created quite a few chances against Forest, but obviously from my own point of view the Burnley game was the one that hurt because we had a lot of chances then.
"The Cardiff game was totally different to the one we played in the cup because they had a good result against Coventry the week before, and it was the biggest crowd in 23 years at Ninian Park so they were up for it.
"I thought we defended well in spells; Tomas alongside Christian did well and Jamo made three or four good saves, while Robbie Stockdale came in and played steadily.
"In the first half Michael and Hayden looked pretty good together in central midfield and, though Hayden unfortunately got a dead leg, Rob Lee did well, so generally speaking that unit of pressurising and trying to deny the likes of Earnshaw too many chances worked well.
"Gordon had the best chance of the match and just got caught out and although we didn't create that many openings generally speaking we had a lot of decent possession without finally getting that clear cut chance.
"Matthew Etherington had a good game down the left, Hutch is getting fitter, so there are a lot of pluses though losing David Connolly for probably two or three weeks with a thigh muscle like that was obviously a blow.
"Hayden should be okay for the Coventry trip and he can't play against Spurs anyway, while Tomas is suspended for that one, so we will be a bit thin."