“1 nil…to the Eng-er-lish” bellowed around Stan’s on Sunday afternoon – something bright for the day after my drive down the M1 earlier that morning after a weekend of unsuccessful house hunting.
The weather did its best to ruin the day; I received a number of text messages and emails over the following days about the St. Andrews reservoir, but sod it – 3 points, and in the words of Tomo Rosso “a wins a win, and you’ll do for me”. Some credit to Cardiff in that they came and played some decent football, Dave Jones has the idea, (that lacks from our management team), that when a players passes the ball he carries on moving, (and by that I do not mean retreating back towards one’s goal). But then in some credit to my team, Cardiff never really created any chances or ever looked like stealing the game.
The pitch would certainly not have permitted an excellent footballing display so under the circumstances we did okay. Colin Doyle appears to have ceased his attempts to hit the heavens with his goal kicks and performed with a sound display, with one outstanding save – which when looking at the goals we conceded against Southampton, Southend you have to ask – would Maik Taylor have managed it?
The back four played a solid game too, Kelly and Sadler made marauding runs, Taylor showed good distribution and N’Gotty blocked well, it’s nice to see our centre halves managing to find blue shirts with their headers. Bruce deserves his p45 if he brings back Raidi “always let it bounce” Jaidi!
The only major problem I have with our back four is the full backs do not show for the ball when the keeper has it, every year, when the keeper collects the ball he looks for his fullbacks to “want” the ball, but heaven forbid – head down and they make their way to the half-way line. What’s the point of a keeper hoofing the ball 70 yards up the pitch when a full back can collect the ball and make a more accurate 30-yard pass?
The midfield played as a good unit, to me Seb Larsson still doesn’t peel wide enough and I still reserve judgment over Muamba, too many time he fails to make his 10,15 yard passes and 9 times out of 10 some of his passes are wildly over hit. |
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Where I sit they are often mistaken for a shot some 50 yards out. McSheffery again had a torrid time but the weather did not help. I am fed up of people blaming the pitch because Southend’s right-winger, (Jamal Campbell-Ryce), had no trouble running the line on that Tuesday night.
McSheffery was again doubled up on for most the game again though so it’s never going to be easy.
Bendtner finally showed a little more graft and what a difference it makes to his game, so much ability, control and skill he just needs to sort out the fundamentals of his attitude. Niclas, very much like Forssell, needs a runner with him, the way Morrison was the perfect foil for Forssell, (please excuse the unintentional alliteration), we have three hard grafting forwards at the club. Whether Vine is the best of the three…
I don’t think so. I still maintain DJ Campbell is, as he, out of the three; has more of a footballing brain and more of a predatory finish, not only that he must be such an annoying guy to defend against, skilful and quick off the mark.
However, I would think that Brucie will place Bendthner and the Forse together because that would make very little footballing sense!
Not an awful lot more to talk about really as the week’s press is now slightly hyped up about the Derby game. I have heard that we are chasing Michael Gray from Blackburn and that Neil Danns has turned down a move to Forest…maybe the latter did this because after Sunday someone said it was “nice weather for ducks”.
The Derby game is a vital one, like when we played them before – a huge, huge, defining game of the season, a win to take us a little bit more clear again with a game in hand, a defeat to pile on pressure and make the worry of play-offs a possibility.
It’s going to be a nervous game, and it could be a messy affair. I think the outcome will actually be another one nil victory with again, a Clemence goal to secure the three points.
The possible return of Peschisoldio is a worry, a cracking little player, alike Campbell, must be a nightmare to play against. |
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But this is the game to kick on after the Cardiff game for our final bit of the season. I urge people to get down to the game – you can go out on the lash afterwards – sing it loud, and as always sing it proud. I can’t wait for the day that the atmosphere is once again like it was versus Watford, (playoffs 1999), Ipswich (Worthington Cup Semi-final 2001), Aston Villa, (3-0 win in 2002). Come on fellow bluenoses…Bruce will always struggle…let’s help the boys to the Promised Land!
As you go through life,
its a long long road,
there be joy's and sorrows to,
as we jour-ney on, we will sing this song,
for the boys in royal blue,
we're often partisan, la, la, la,
we will journey on, la, la, la,
keep right on to the end of the road,
keep right on to the end,
though the way be long,
let your hearts be strong,
keep right on round the bend,
though you're tired and weary,
still journey on,
till you come to your happy abode,
where all the love you've been dreaming of,
will be there (where!),
at the e-nd of the road,
Birmingham! Birmingham!Birmingham! |
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