As is almost annual to those of the Sky Blue faith, the start of pre-season brings renewed vigour for the teams' future after months of hard graft that sometimes can be watching the fortunes on the pitch at the Ricoh.
This summer has been no different.
Due to either odd timing of a unlucky nature or just right out bad planning, City entered the summer with a bakers dozen of players out of deal, the headline acts being Aron Gunnarsson, shot-stopper Kieren Westwood and top-scorer Marlon King.
Keeping all or any of these was seen as pivotal as new gaffer Andy Thorn looks to take advantage of his strong start in the Ricoh's top table.
After a few weeks of hear-say and rumour, City fans got their first piece of what seemed to be a step forward as it was announced via the club and its board that King, the controversial signing come top scorer had decided to extend his stay and keep the faith to the club who were willing to take a chance on him after his past troubles.
But this is Coventry City.
No sooner had the ink dried on the released statement to all forms of media it came out that the ink wasnt dry on the most important document of all.
King's new contract.
Fast forward a week and it now seems that King and his 'verbal agreement' are now heading to St Andrews and Birmingham, where they have pounced following a false dawn signing of the Robert Jarni kind at CCFC.
When the signing for the Blues is announced, if, its announced. The blame game will start for the supporters of City but with a all too familiar feeling of resignation and gloom.
But this is where Andy Thorn's judgement should come in for some merited trust and patience from fans thinking just who will score the goals over 46 games consistently enough to push the team on and away from the basement they have called home for too long.
Thorn in his previous guise as Chief Scout at the club had a track record many may not be aware of and one that other higher luminaries would be proud of.
In his time as scout, Thorn was credited with the unearthing of the talents of Scott Dann and Danny Fox from Walsall- the former being linked with a big-money move to Liverpool's Dalglish revolution as well as another Liverpool big-money signing Jordan Henderson who spent a successful stint at the club three years ago before he caught the eye of messers Bruce, Capello and Dalglish.
King's fellow out-of-contract team mates Westwood and Gunnarsson were also credited to the eye for talent of Andy Thorn.
It's that track record that now Coventry fans must support. With the financial situation of the club surely meaning unearthing and scultping talent will come from the lower reaches of the game and abroad rather than the rebirth of a fallen talent with the big pay packet and price tag.
But if Thorn follows up the history he has of unearthing talent for the club, then the departure of King who seems soon to be followed by Westwood out the exit door.
The impact those moves will bring could well be cushioned by further success for Thorn as he begins to dig yet again as the club lurch in a state of limbo given a latest embarassment for the club with the King debacle in recent days.
Early indications of Thorn's intentions seeming to back up his past of digging up talent with Northampton 'keeper Chris Dunn and former Spanish Under-21 international and current Nigerian international Stephen Sunday rumoured to be in play too replace two of the three out of contract headliners.
With still some 8 weeks until it all starts again and the 2011/12 Coventry City squad take the field with a different look and feel to it than it did 12 months ago. The time spent in those 8 weeks will give a good indication of the talents of the current manager at the Ricoh and what the 11/12 season will bring.
But one things for sure, when the trip to St Andrews pops up on the fixture list 8 days from now, alot of CCFC fans will look straight to the date for the trip to the second city before any upcoming possible seaside trip the 2011/12 season will also bring.
Now to watch, wait and see what happens next at CCFC.
Please leave feedback as all is welcome to help with future posts and I hope you have and are enjoying reading my blog.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
When It Comes to the Play-offs...big names rarely prosper
With the richest match in football now decided the Football League play-offs are once again in full swing with the usual mix of drama and tense-natured games as always.
With the League 1 & 2 finals to be decided in the coming days, there is a very prominent lack of big names in the running for a place at the Wembley or Old Trafford showpieces.
The Championship is the most pertinent of that fact.
The two teams left standing following the weekend's events are Reading and Swansea. One thing both have in common is the unrecognisable names and young managers they have at the respective helms.
At Reading, is Brian McDermott.
A 14-year career which started at Arsenal and continued with less glamorous stop-offs at Exeter and IFK Norkkoping in Sweden. He first joined Reading's coaching set-up in 2000 as the chief scout and after a spell as the clubs Reserves and U19 boss, took the top job at the Berkshire club initially as Caretaker, ironically from his opponent in the May 30th Final, Brendan Rogers.
With Rogers who's path to being just 90 minutes away from the football elite is something similar to McDermott in that he plied his coaching trade by working at the Academy at first Reading and latterly Chelsea, where he was a hand-picked for the job by Jose Mourinho. Since taking over at Swansea, again alot like McDermott he has wasted no time in putting his stamp on his side and the style of play they used to their advantage.
Both squads have very little in way of marquee players. Going more towards a squad of honest and hard working professionals who have a self belief and work ethic instilled by their up and coming managers.
The teams they have out-fought, Cardiff and Nottingham Forest on the other hand have managers who go about their buisness, as they are obliged to do, in a totally different manner.
The squads at the disposal of Billy Davies and Dave Jones are packed with former multi-million pound players and International captains and thoroughbreds. The two managers also have build up a reputation that their successful counterparts are working towards with little to no fuss.
The pressure on messers Davies and Jones was undoubtedly more prelevant before the ties began and now following their defeats the futures of both may be called into question from their success-hungry fan-bases.
Whoever gains promotion to the top-flight at Wembley, in what is believed to be worth around £80m for the winners, both will look towards the future and no longer be able to go about their buisness in the unassuming way they have this season as the footballing world feasts their eyes on two teams and managers who worked their way to the positions they find themselves in and no-one can begrudge either of them were they to take the next step.
The blueprint put down by the patience and faith shown by the money men at the Liberty and Madejski stadiums which is seemingly being followed throughout the football league as the big-name managers sit and watch on as the new wave of promising managers get their time in the sun.
To see this blueprint in action, the playoffs throughout the three leagues are a pointer towards it.
Sucess at Bournemouth in recent years, is to put it blunty, astounding. Working with no money to bring any players in and facing a 17 point deduction, rookie boss Eddie Howe whose playing career was cut short at just 29 at the club took the club to safety and then to a fairytale promotion.
Following a strong start to this past season in League 1, the inevitable plucking of one of the most sought after young managers happened. Too little panic from the Dorset club as they again appointed within in giving the job to club legends Lee Bradbury and Steve Fletcher, a continuation of Howe's groundwork continued and leaves them two games away from a promotion to the second tier, four years after they came within moments of going out of the league alltogether.
Whoever comes out on topover the course of the next few weeks and as the Football League season comes to a close for another season. It is safe to bet that we may see similar stories of young-managers prospering over the bigger names for the next few years as the financial side continues to take priority over a risky gamble on a former-success story.
Again leave me feedback on here or wherever. Negative or Positive.
With the League 1 & 2 finals to be decided in the coming days, there is a very prominent lack of big names in the running for a place at the Wembley or Old Trafford showpieces.
The Championship is the most pertinent of that fact.
The two teams left standing following the weekend's events are Reading and Swansea. One thing both have in common is the unrecognisable names and young managers they have at the respective helms.
At Reading, is Brian McDermott.
A 14-year career which started at Arsenal and continued with less glamorous stop-offs at Exeter and IFK Norkkoping in Sweden. He first joined Reading's coaching set-up in 2000 as the chief scout and after a spell as the clubs Reserves and U19 boss, took the top job at the Berkshire club initially as Caretaker, ironically from his opponent in the May 30th Final, Brendan Rogers.
With Rogers who's path to being just 90 minutes away from the football elite is something similar to McDermott in that he plied his coaching trade by working at the Academy at first Reading and latterly Chelsea, where he was a hand-picked for the job by Jose Mourinho. Since taking over at Swansea, again alot like McDermott he has wasted no time in putting his stamp on his side and the style of play they used to their advantage.
Both squads have very little in way of marquee players. Going more towards a squad of honest and hard working professionals who have a self belief and work ethic instilled by their up and coming managers.
The teams they have out-fought, Cardiff and Nottingham Forest on the other hand have managers who go about their buisness, as they are obliged to do, in a totally different manner.
The squads at the disposal of Billy Davies and Dave Jones are packed with former multi-million pound players and International captains and thoroughbreds. The two managers also have build up a reputation that their successful counterparts are working towards with little to no fuss.
The pressure on messers Davies and Jones was undoubtedly more prelevant before the ties began and now following their defeats the futures of both may be called into question from their success-hungry fan-bases.
Whoever gains promotion to the top-flight at Wembley, in what is believed to be worth around £80m for the winners, both will look towards the future and no longer be able to go about their buisness in the unassuming way they have this season as the footballing world feasts their eyes on two teams and managers who worked their way to the positions they find themselves in and no-one can begrudge either of them were they to take the next step.
The blueprint put down by the patience and faith shown by the money men at the Liberty and Madejski stadiums which is seemingly being followed throughout the football league as the big-name managers sit and watch on as the new wave of promising managers get their time in the sun.
To see this blueprint in action, the playoffs throughout the three leagues are a pointer towards it.
Sucess at Bournemouth in recent years, is to put it blunty, astounding. Working with no money to bring any players in and facing a 17 point deduction, rookie boss Eddie Howe whose playing career was cut short at just 29 at the club took the club to safety and then to a fairytale promotion.
Following a strong start to this past season in League 1, the inevitable plucking of one of the most sought after young managers happened. Too little panic from the Dorset club as they again appointed within in giving the job to club legends Lee Bradbury and Steve Fletcher, a continuation of Howe's groundwork continued and leaves them two games away from a promotion to the second tier, four years after they came within moments of going out of the league alltogether.
Whoever comes out on topover the course of the next few weeks and as the Football League season comes to a close for another season. It is safe to bet that we may see similar stories of young-managers prospering over the bigger names for the next few years as the financial side continues to take priority over a risky gamble on a former-success story.
Again leave me feedback on here or wherever. Negative or Positive.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Grant sacking just the beginning of a BIG final week for many
As this seasons Premiership comes to a dramatic climax next Sunday alot of questions are to be asked of nearly every club in the top flight of English football.
With the title destination decided as well as the bubble of West Ham being burst, again, there is still plenty to decide and decipher next weekend. None more so than to do with, as Jeff Stelling put it earlier today, the £40m drop.
Now firstly West Ham, the fact that Grant has gone suprised no-one. The style and timing of his dismissal shouldnt of suprised anyone either. Grant's bosses were caught in the act as it were a few months ago trying to the lure ex-Villa boss Martin O'Neill down to the soon-to-be Olympic Park. Since O'Neill backed away from a rumoured deal, Grant has been the definition of a dead man walking and has looked it.
Also clambering for life on the edge of the trap door are Birmingham. A month ago, they looked certain to be playing another season in the top flight which, for Alex McLeish's side was seen as a accomplishment when put along side their remarkable Carling Cup win at the back end of February. But it seems that the Cup Final was seen by their players as the final game of their season and their form since that day at Wembley has been nothing short of embarassing, culminating in a shambolic defeat today at home to Fulham, who themselves were coming off the back of a humbling thrashing in their previous game.
Like West Ham, the thought of relegation to the second-tier of English football is financially suicidal for the team from the second city.
Blackpool's fairytale may just get the ending it seems destined to have as they head to the newly crowned Champions, Manchester United. The relegation bankers in August possibly need snookers to avoid the drop, but given the form, or lack thereof from Birmingham as well as the almost certain resting of United's big hitters ahead of the Champions League Final a week later, all is not lost for the season's big story.
Whatever happens next week, like I said previously, alot of teams face questions ahead of the start of the 2011/12 season.
Whoever escapes the drop next week, will be the favourites for the drop in 12 months time, that is almost certain.
Then theres Manchester City, with their plush new addition to the trophy cabinet. Now matched with premier European club competition and unrivalled wealth. The 'noisy neighbours' may come into focus more so come next season's title run-in.
Even mid-table incumbents like Stoke and Sunderland may face questions, for different reasons.
A need to match this years success for Stoke may put added pressure on boss Tony Pulis, who for me should win Manager of the Year for leading the Potters to the FA Cup Final. Incredibly though, Pulis seems to be working on a short leash from his supporters.
As for Sunderland, still reeling from the departure of Darren Bent and with a mountain of money not coming to fruition in January, their fans must surely want a push on as they watched Stoke, Bolton and Birmingham reach Wembley this season through gritted teeth. One key to that and any success they may have next season could come down to the Stadium of Light faithful deciding whether Steve Bruce is the messiah or a naughty boy as their end of season form seems to be throwing his future and ability into question and counter question in the North-East.
The Premiership, lest we forget, will welcome a new set of money-men this summer as QPR return to the top flight with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone at the fore of the financials of the London side.
Whatever happens to them and fellow promoted side Norwich will come into public focus following next week's climax of yet another season and notch on the proverbial bedpost of messers Ferguson and Giggs.
Read, Comment, give feedback in anyway, negative or positive. Wanted to get my thoughts out here and hope you enjoy the read.
Cheers.
With the title destination decided as well as the bubble of West Ham being burst, again, there is still plenty to decide and decipher next weekend. None more so than to do with, as Jeff Stelling put it earlier today, the £40m drop.
Now firstly West Ham, the fact that Grant has gone suprised no-one. The style and timing of his dismissal shouldnt of suprised anyone either. Grant's bosses were caught in the act as it were a few months ago trying to the lure ex-Villa boss Martin O'Neill down to the soon-to-be Olympic Park. Since O'Neill backed away from a rumoured deal, Grant has been the definition of a dead man walking and has looked it.
Also clambering for life on the edge of the trap door are Birmingham. A month ago, they looked certain to be playing another season in the top flight which, for Alex McLeish's side was seen as a accomplishment when put along side their remarkable Carling Cup win at the back end of February. But it seems that the Cup Final was seen by their players as the final game of their season and their form since that day at Wembley has been nothing short of embarassing, culminating in a shambolic defeat today at home to Fulham, who themselves were coming off the back of a humbling thrashing in their previous game.
Like West Ham, the thought of relegation to the second-tier of English football is financially suicidal for the team from the second city.
Blackpool's fairytale may just get the ending it seems destined to have as they head to the newly crowned Champions, Manchester United. The relegation bankers in August possibly need snookers to avoid the drop, but given the form, or lack thereof from Birmingham as well as the almost certain resting of United's big hitters ahead of the Champions League Final a week later, all is not lost for the season's big story.
Whatever happens next week, like I said previously, alot of teams face questions ahead of the start of the 2011/12 season.
Whoever escapes the drop next week, will be the favourites for the drop in 12 months time, that is almost certain.
Then theres Manchester City, with their plush new addition to the trophy cabinet. Now matched with premier European club competition and unrivalled wealth. The 'noisy neighbours' may come into focus more so come next season's title run-in.
Even mid-table incumbents like Stoke and Sunderland may face questions, for different reasons.
A need to match this years success for Stoke may put added pressure on boss Tony Pulis, who for me should win Manager of the Year for leading the Potters to the FA Cup Final. Incredibly though, Pulis seems to be working on a short leash from his supporters.
As for Sunderland, still reeling from the departure of Darren Bent and with a mountain of money not coming to fruition in January, their fans must surely want a push on as they watched Stoke, Bolton and Birmingham reach Wembley this season through gritted teeth. One key to that and any success they may have next season could come down to the Stadium of Light faithful deciding whether Steve Bruce is the messiah or a naughty boy as their end of season form seems to be throwing his future and ability into question and counter question in the North-East.
The Premiership, lest we forget, will welcome a new set of money-men this summer as QPR return to the top flight with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone at the fore of the financials of the London side.
Whatever happens to them and fellow promoted side Norwich will come into public focus following next week's climax of yet another season and notch on the proverbial bedpost of messers Ferguson and Giggs.
Read, Comment, give feedback in anyway, negative or positive. Wanted to get my thoughts out here and hope you enjoy the read.
Cheers.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Is this the end of beginning of the end for two Premier League stalwarts??
Once the dust settles and the awards have been handed out and a bookend put on the melodrama of the Premiership for another few months. For me, we could be set to see a changing in the guard at two clubs in particular, both clubs having reached the FA Cup Semi Final to only fall short.
The teams? Manchester United and Bolton Wanderers.
The players? Paul Scholes and Jussi Jaaskelainen.
Firstly to Paul Scholes.
Now let me get this across, Paul Scholes is possibly the best centre midfielder I have seen in the Premiership to his early-career lung busting runs up and down Old Trafford's pitch to his more recent 'quarterback' role at the heart of a young United midfield. But watching him this weekend on a stage he would once rule, his sending off was the example to prove the conviction.
Paul Scholes of yesteryear would of won that ball in a 50-50, took it down and sprung messers Rooney, van Nistelrooy through to a goal down to the genius of the player wearing the number 18. But there he was, a seeming step-off the pace and trudging off after a nasty looking challenge followed by his marching orders from Mike Dean.
It's that look of the once masterful Scholes trudging off which sticks with me. Matching that with fellow stalwart/United legend Ryan Giggs seemingly growing with age as a yardstick and the club's reluctance/patience to give Scholes a new deal- something Giggs has already- which leads me to think that this maybe the last year of Mr Scholes at the so-called 'Theatre of Dreams'.
Scholes, himself seems self-aware, not self-indulgent. This was showed with his decision to back away from the International game when the Lampards of the world were emerging. Its that awareness of his situation which seems to be leading Scholes out the door at United and the possible end to one hell of a era by one of my favourite players of all time.
As for Jaaskelainen. It's been a longer process of clawing his way to the end of a stellar career.
He's been up there with the best 'keepers in this league since he arrived on the Premier League stage with his gutsy Bolton side. Since their promotion to the top-flight in 2001, 'Jussi' has been the first name on the Bolton teamsheet. A sign of the stability the club operates in under the guidance of chief Phil Gartside and Managers Allardyce, Megson and latterly Coyle.
But in recent times, where he possibly has the strongest back-line in front of him during the ten-year stay of Bolton in the Premiership,the mistakes and signs of a decline are becoming prominent.
Along with the emergence of understudy Ali Al-Habsi, albeit at Wigan on loan wil no doubt give manager Owen Coyle a decision to make. One the Finnish mainstay is not as nailed on winner of as he would of been a couple of years ago.
Like with Scholes, he has been the best I've arguably seen at his position and in the early part of this century, possibly was a part of the reason to how the Trotters kept their status among the elite.
But watching him on Sunday, somethings gone. He has a future England No.5 in front of him in the shape of Gary Cahill. But his ability to make a 'highlight-reel' game saving save seems to be dissapearing. This may be harsh to put on just one game. But I've felt this for a while, the errors are more prelevant than I can ever remember with Jussi, the command no longer seems to be there, but this is purely an opinion from a far.
Whatever happens to Jussi and Scholes remains to be seen, but both clubs will be hard pressed to find a replacement who will be as long living in the memory of the respective clubs supporters and the neutrals around the country, one of which I am.
If this next 6 weeks is it for two of the best in the near twenty years of the Premiership and their partaking in it, then theres hours of footage filled with highlights to fill a video package to be proud of and alot of younger players would be in good stead to look at the two players as the finest examples to follow in this age of money before loyalty.
Read, hopefully enjoy and give me feedback please. Cheers :)
The teams? Manchester United and Bolton Wanderers.
The players? Paul Scholes and Jussi Jaaskelainen.
Firstly to Paul Scholes.
Now let me get this across, Paul Scholes is possibly the best centre midfielder I have seen in the Premiership to his early-career lung busting runs up and down Old Trafford's pitch to his more recent 'quarterback' role at the heart of a young United midfield. But watching him this weekend on a stage he would once rule, his sending off was the example to prove the conviction.
Paul Scholes of yesteryear would of won that ball in a 50-50, took it down and sprung messers Rooney, van Nistelrooy through to a goal down to the genius of the player wearing the number 18. But there he was, a seeming step-off the pace and trudging off after a nasty looking challenge followed by his marching orders from Mike Dean.
It's that look of the once masterful Scholes trudging off which sticks with me. Matching that with fellow stalwart/United legend Ryan Giggs seemingly growing with age as a yardstick and the club's reluctance/patience to give Scholes a new deal- something Giggs has already- which leads me to think that this maybe the last year of Mr Scholes at the so-called 'Theatre of Dreams'.
Scholes, himself seems self-aware, not self-indulgent. This was showed with his decision to back away from the International game when the Lampards of the world were emerging. Its that awareness of his situation which seems to be leading Scholes out the door at United and the possible end to one hell of a era by one of my favourite players of all time.
As for Jaaskelainen. It's been a longer process of clawing his way to the end of a stellar career.
He's been up there with the best 'keepers in this league since he arrived on the Premier League stage with his gutsy Bolton side. Since their promotion to the top-flight in 2001, 'Jussi' has been the first name on the Bolton teamsheet. A sign of the stability the club operates in under the guidance of chief Phil Gartside and Managers Allardyce, Megson and latterly Coyle.
But in recent times, where he possibly has the strongest back-line in front of him during the ten-year stay of Bolton in the Premiership,the mistakes and signs of a decline are becoming prominent.
Along with the emergence of understudy Ali Al-Habsi, albeit at Wigan on loan wil no doubt give manager Owen Coyle a decision to make. One the Finnish mainstay is not as nailed on winner of as he would of been a couple of years ago.
Like with Scholes, he has been the best I've arguably seen at his position and in the early part of this century, possibly was a part of the reason to how the Trotters kept their status among the elite.
But watching him on Sunday, somethings gone. He has a future England No.5 in front of him in the shape of Gary Cahill. But his ability to make a 'highlight-reel' game saving save seems to be dissapearing. This may be harsh to put on just one game. But I've felt this for a while, the errors are more prelevant than I can ever remember with Jussi, the command no longer seems to be there, but this is purely an opinion from a far.
Whatever happens to Jussi and Scholes remains to be seen, but both clubs will be hard pressed to find a replacement who will be as long living in the memory of the respective clubs supporters and the neutrals around the country, one of which I am.
If this next 6 weeks is it for two of the best in the near twenty years of the Premiership and their partaking in it, then theres hours of footage filled with highlights to fill a video package to be proud of and alot of younger players would be in good stead to look at the two players as the finest examples to follow in this age of money before loyalty.
Read, hopefully enjoy and give me feedback please. Cheers :)
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
This is Turbulent...Even for CCFC
I've been a City fan for my whole life. Went to my first game in 1994 and have been there through the high spots of Dublin/Hucks front-line. The pure talent of Robbie Keane and THAT comeback win at Highfield Road against Man Utd.
For most of it as well, upuntil this season I was a season ticket at both Highfield Road and the Ricoh as I left Coventry for University.
Along the way, apart from a few bright spots, it's been mostly lowlights in the life of a City fan. Just three years ago, I listened on the radio on the way work as the club came 30 mintues away extinction following years of mis-management.
After avoiding that bullet, I thought I'd seen it all.
That was up until the calender turned to March 2011.
Since that time we have not won a game, but to be honest that is more common than every City fan would care to admit. We have lost a manager. Not one but two lifelong City fan's off the board and we lost the 2007 knight in shining armour Ray Ranson as Chairman.
Now unlike that 11th hour survival day a few years ago, I have watched this debacle to put it bluntly unfold from outside of Coventry, so my knowledge on the ins and outs of it all are not at 100%.
But to witness a club go through upheavel and change at every level in less than a month is staggering, but despite the almost armageddon aspect to it all, including the precarious position our on-field form- yes there is games of Football going on amongst all this- the feeling seems to be one of almost resignation and numbness to it from the beleagured faithful who traipse up to the Ricoh every other Saturday. Not one of a scene from Braveheart when a self-important top-tier club loses to someone it's not supposed to.
No Choclate Brown scarves or calls for Sky Blue Knights here!
But it is the nature of the beast we inherited in 2007 when we took what we could and believed that we would have something to talk about apart from May 16th 1987.
As like everything though with CCFC, that hasn't been the case. Decline has been the method of the club, not incline as we all might of thought.
The fact that possibly the finest keeper this club has seen for a decade is set to leave for nothing is almost the poster-board for the last few years.
What next? Well seeing as the current incumbents have spent heavily, including today to keep the club running. It seems that the incline in league position is a bit longer off even now than that it was when we were saved by the now departed Ray Ranson and his band of 'merry men'.
The situation the club find itself in is something that even a club who in its recent history-spent over budget and timeframe in the building of what most fans deem a uneccessarily grand stadium given the status of the ground being one we DONT ACTUALLY OWN.
As well as a club that if league positions stuck until May 6th, support the longest-serving team in England's second-tier.
That fact along with these last few weeks are something which shouldnt be the case, but sadly for me and all others who bleed Sky Blue.
Its just the way it is.
Please read a comment, would love feedback, just getting to grips with this blogging lark!
For most of it as well, upuntil this season I was a season ticket at both Highfield Road and the Ricoh as I left Coventry for University.
Along the way, apart from a few bright spots, it's been mostly lowlights in the life of a City fan. Just three years ago, I listened on the radio on the way work as the club came 30 mintues away extinction following years of mis-management.
After avoiding that bullet, I thought I'd seen it all.
That was up until the calender turned to March 2011.
Since that time we have not won a game, but to be honest that is more common than every City fan would care to admit. We have lost a manager. Not one but two lifelong City fan's off the board and we lost the 2007 knight in shining armour Ray Ranson as Chairman.
Now unlike that 11th hour survival day a few years ago, I have watched this debacle to put it bluntly unfold from outside of Coventry, so my knowledge on the ins and outs of it all are not at 100%.
But to witness a club go through upheavel and change at every level in less than a month is staggering, but despite the almost armageddon aspect to it all, including the precarious position our on-field form- yes there is games of Football going on amongst all this- the feeling seems to be one of almost resignation and numbness to it from the beleagured faithful who traipse up to the Ricoh every other Saturday. Not one of a scene from Braveheart when a self-important top-tier club loses to someone it's not supposed to.
No Choclate Brown scarves or calls for Sky Blue Knights here!
But it is the nature of the beast we inherited in 2007 when we took what we could and believed that we would have something to talk about apart from May 16th 1987.
As like everything though with CCFC, that hasn't been the case. Decline has been the method of the club, not incline as we all might of thought.
The fact that possibly the finest keeper this club has seen for a decade is set to leave for nothing is almost the poster-board for the last few years.
What next? Well seeing as the current incumbents have spent heavily, including today to keep the club running. It seems that the incline in league position is a bit longer off even now than that it was when we were saved by the now departed Ray Ranson and his band of 'merry men'.
The situation the club find itself in is something that even a club who in its recent history-spent over budget and timeframe in the building of what most fans deem a uneccessarily grand stadium given the status of the ground being one we DONT ACTUALLY OWN.
As well as a club that if league positions stuck until May 6th, support the longest-serving team in England's second-tier.
That fact along with these last few weeks are something which shouldnt be the case, but sadly for me and all others who bleed Sky Blue.
Its just the way it is.
Please read a comment, would love feedback, just getting to grips with this blogging lark!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Capello Finally Shows his Metal
DISCLAIMER- MY FIRST EVER BLOG POST.
He is the Italian maestro who has recieved criticism from every corner of this tiny nation in recent months. When less than a year ago he was being lauded as the next coming of Sir Bobby and Sir Alf.
Following a undoubtedly disastrous World Cup in South Africa, the clambering for the axe to fall was almost viral. He stood steadfast in his highly-paid job whilst all around him reached for the pitchforks and lighter fluid.
Along the way since his and the team's return from South Africa last July, he hasn't helped himself with some odd quotes and decisions springing up from his press appearances, from retiring David Beckham to the latest error coming with the Captaincy.
But it's this latest so-called 'gaffe' that I feel a bit of sympathy for him.
Yes, he could of publically handled it better. But the public support from his talisman and vice-captain Steven Gerrard and the corresponding words from his media savvy midfielder which showed that possibly the Italian played it by book when dealing with his strickened out-going captain, Rio Ferdinand.
Gerrard, said that he had spoke to Capello over the phone, after the Italian at the pre-game press appointments said that he came to the decision and looked to speak to Ferdinand face to face but was left waiting for his then-captain.
Couple that with his public confidence in the promising Jack Wilshere and his relenting of the 'too rigid' 4-4-2 formation he loved but everyone loathed and you see glimpses of the man who has lost just one qualifier and just two competitive games in his time in charge of the national team and was all but given an honorary knighthood just over a year ago.
Which, for me makes the criticism of him a little rich in my view. Something he is facing yet again ahead of tonight's uneccesary friendly at Wembley against the emerging Ghana team.
If this was just a one-off friendly played in mid-season with no qualifier to cushion the blow for the squirming club bosses around the top-echelon's of the game, then you can rest assured the touted XI for tonights game would be somewhat similar. So for the criticism to land at his feet for 'disrespecting' his opponents is, for me anyway, wide of the mark.
Tonight will see Wilshere, Parker and Matt Jarvis press their claims, something which has asked of him and the coaching set up even before Don Fabio strolled up Wembley Way.
All in all, with his team's confident showing this past weekend and also his seeming snub from his former captain on a personal level and the way he has meandered throguh the mine field of limited English up against the said pitchforks gathering at his every turn.
If they lose tonight, it matters little.
We are looking a good bet for the European Championships next summer if we negotiate a tough trip to Montenegro in a few months.
All a loss would do will be to give the gathered refreshed and new angles for criticism in a week where their target has played a blinder on the pitch and a few mis-steps aside off it as well and showed again why his bosses kept on adding the zeros to his pay packet.
Come on England!
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