Lions! Lions beat Tigers

I won’t tell you the content of the text that I sent to fellow Blues when Vinny got red-carded; I’ve promised to keep this Blog clean. Needless to say it contained just one word followed by several exclamation marks…

It was all imploding at an incredible rate

Late kick-off against Wigan last Sunday, midweek game at Camp Nou and an early start against Hull City yesterday. In other wards, 3 games in 5 ½ days; out of the F.A. Cup, out of the Champions League and just 10 minutes into the first Premier League game in weeks we lose our rock and Captain at the back. Is it any wonder Blues fans used to seeing ‘darker times’ had one of those time-freeze moments? I sure did…

Edin the barometer

Yaya Toure was interviewed on BT Sport prior to the game and comments were made by pundits Neil Warnock and Steve McManaman. The Presenter asked whether our Ivorian midfielder looked a little sombre; perhaps a little dour. Neil responded with the suggestion that it was most likely steely determination and focus.

Then there were the out-of-breath words just moments after the Barca defeat from Kompany; gasping words of defiance and a ‘formal statement’ that the defeat would only serve to spur the team on in pursuit of the Premier League title. These words were later amplified by Samir Nasri and Pablo Zabaleta.

Now…I don’t know if anyone else has ever noticed this but Mr Dzeko has mastered the art of expressing his mood in the form of a sulking child-like face. All-too-often, when called on to start a game in the middle of a baron spell, he stands over the ball at kick-off and his whole demeanour is one that screams, “You’re gonna get nothing out of me today”. And he often means it too; coming out of those games with a 4 or 5/10 performance.

So as the camera focused in on the Bosnia & Herzegovinian striker as the referee was checking his watch; I immediately noticed an intense gaze of resolve that I’ve just never seen in him before.

THEN…the red card and what I witnessed was a ‘coming together‘ of 10 players who were simply NOT going to be put to the sword! There was already a defiance about the team; the sending off only served to intensify that. I am so proud of them.

I learnt something…so did Ian Cheeseman and Fred Eyre

That’s it! I exclaimed in the living room on my own. He misses Fulham at home, Manyoo & Arsenal away. Radio Manchester (I had the sound turned down on the TV) confirmed it. Then, 2 minutes later and just before Silva’s goal on 14 minutes, someone from the Radio Station sent a message to suggest that it wouldn’t be a three match ban but, instead, just the one! Even though I was alone, all hell was breaking lose! After quickly firing off my expletive text, I was then scratching my head regarding the one-match-ban and as I was gathering my thoughts as to WHY that would be the case…Silva curled in a beauty! My next text was...“YES!!!!!!”

So, it would seem, it’s only a one game ban because it was neither violent nor dangerous. I see…

 

 

 

Viva the Villa!

With two friends arriving on 24 minutes and having sunk a few tinnies during the game, it was off to the local for a couple more celebratory drinks.

Back home and I stumbled across the Villa / Chelsea game. There wasn’t long remaining and I was delighted to see the scoreline at 0-0. Unaware that Chelsea had already had a man sent off, I was just crossing everything in the hope that the result could stay the same. Then Villa did the almost unthinkable…and so did Ramires with a HORRIBLE tackle. Chelsea were 1-0 down and down to NINE men!

Mourinho was then sent packing to the stands (rightly or wrongly) – huh…and they say a WEEK is a long time in football; how about 5 hours?! What a much-changed picture.

It might sound negative and even a slightly backward-way of looking at things; but being just 6 points behind and STILL with 3 games in hand we can now afford to lose one [win the other 2 games in hand] and STILL go top of the league on at least goal difference. Not a bad position to be in when we have upcoming trips to both Manyoo and Arsenal in 4 days apart.

But it’s Fulham 'up' at home next after a full week’s rest. And with news that Matija Nastasic & Stevan Jovetic could be back in training by the end of the week; the sky might be overcast in Manchester but it feels sky blue at the moment…