Tuesday 19 April 2016

The Belgian/French swagger is back!

This is the first in play post I have done as I sit in Lytham cricket club at half time after watching my mate play cricket, one of the few sports I don't play. Our school didn't bother with it and for me it just takes too long! Maybe if 20/20 cricket had been around as a kid I would have thought differently, but I am old and it wasn't!

Anyway back to the important stuff what I have just witnessed in that first half was at times beautiful football reminding me of seasons gone by! Some of the interplay and passing was gorgeous at times and should have probably led to a couple more goals with some better finishing, but nonetheless it is positive and most importantly a joy to watch! This is because of a number of key things: No.1. The defensive pair have gone from woeful to palatable! No.2. Zaba creates more attacking options. No.3. You only need Fernandinho holding, you don't need Fernando as well, which makes us more creative and we are still solid enough, especially with Kev's work rate. No.4. The ginger prince himself, he is truly special, and if I was a Chelsea fan I would be absolutely gutted he'd slipped through the net! How you ask? No.5. As mentioned in last post Nasri back, who on his day can be up there with the Silva's and DeBruyne's of this world! I sit here with the absolutely gutted realisation that he is not able to play against Madrid and want to stamp my feet like a child in frustration! No.6. Old faithful Sergio doing what he does best! Anyway I hope for more of the same in the 2nd half!



My wish for once this season has been delivered as we again did our self justice with that second 45. Best game of the season for me that, and thoroughly entertaining from start to finish! Let's just hope we can build on it and create some momentum in the league that guarantees top 3 and propels us on against Madrid!

As for Europe my prediction in my last post seems to be coming true with the draw! So Real it is and I am going to go to the 2nd leg as well, meeting up with Pabs in the process. What a game that should be, I can't wait and hopefully we are still in the hunt after the first leg. The only thing that always seems to be the way with me is the biggest City game in my lifetime happens to be on my Mrs' birthday! I am still going and depending on flights I have offered to bring her with me and she can play with Pab's Mrs Elena whilst we go to the game! The only thing I have had to agree to either way to enable my passage to Madrid is a discreet Tattoo of her name on the side of my body under my arm!!! If that's what it takes to get to Madrid that's what it takes!!!!



Anyway back down to earth and the Geordies tomorrow night, hopefully we can put them to the sword, continue the momentum and further cement top 4, so the other half of my last post prediction doesn't come true!

Colin Bell Stand, Third Tier
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Thursday 14 April 2016

Whatever next!

Sorry it has been a while, not been the best of months for me, which even the escapism of football couldn't really fix! However you guys don't need to hear that so let's shrug it off and escape into football land once more!

So we go away to the south coast and thank god he's back! You know who! Only the bloody ginger prince, and what a difference that guy makes. Sitting in the pocket he dominated the game and Bournemouth just couldn't get to grips with him. I love you Kev and I'm not afraid to say it or show it! Indeed as one ginger prince fades into the distant memory on the dark side and into Salford city, here rises another ginger prince and you can definitely feel the force within him! Anyway we win 4-0, Kev bags one as does Fernando, Aguero and Kolarov, job done!



Next was Paris away, 25 points clear in their league already, and pundits raving about them. What they forgot is the French league is utter dog shit, no test at all and where lazy misfits go to hide on wad loads of cash! Yaya this may be the perfect place for your lazy money grabbing ass next season!! Although I do appreciate you have scored some very important goals for us you are a complete frustration for me, for as I have said before you are our best weapon and biggest weakness at the same time. However one thing I know for sure is I would always pick the ginger prince before you because his all round stats trump your touch and vision. Anyway we turn out against the new Glasgow Rangers, start off ok and get a deserved goal from none other than! Then Hart does that, his distribution is shit you know! This season he has left me once again confused as one minute he saves us from the shit and then the next minute he dunks us back in it! After the penalty save he did nothing else good and probably should have caught the shot for PSG's second rather than pushing it out! Why will he never catch the ball! Anyway we got the two away goals and a solid result, and then after the match the fire of hatred towards are united bias press started to burn like mad inside me, I will get back to this with the second leg!



Next West Brom and Pullis in his tracky and white trainers, to look at his face it seems to simply suck all the positive energy out of life!  So the game starts and we give away another soft goal early something we have done a lot this season, with Kolarov unsurprisingly looking decidedly average during the attack, but at least he fell over well at the other end and before you know in Sergio is slotting one in! The only other good news of the game up until the substitutions was Nasri, starting the game this time he played pretty well you know. For me he had become the forgotten man, but he soon reminded me how much we've missed him this season! He is literally ten times better than Sterling, for he's got a football brain, composure and a touch. If he had started more this season things could have been different as well, and I'm genuinely sorry Nasri for forgetting how good you actually can be. Then with a need to inject some quality on came the old pretender and the new golden boy, with the latter showing the tenacity and class combined that ultimately got us the winner that aptly fell to the rediscovered Frenchman eventually! Job done and some shoots of hope once more.



Finally the frogs came to us and the Etihad, which considering it was pretty sober was jumping! Again we were better, we should have been playing against ten men for most of the game if the ref had any balls and actually most of the game we were playing 12 men with again the shit decision making for the Spanish ref who also seemed unable to get out of the way of the path of the ball! The ginger prince did look a bit tired in the second half, which is understandable but he still had it in his character to dig deep and guide us through with his guided shot to the left of the keeper!  Happy days!

Now my rant which is said with utter anger and distain for our embarrassing press. I absolutely fucking hate this countries utterly biased and bitter football press that is so dominated by United sympathisers! You can all go and fuck yourselves, with your pathetic bitter stance. You sound like children who are hell bent on trying to pull us apart?! Grow up for you are but fools and your bitterness and jealousy is becoming old and tiring!

The reason why I sit here writing this post tonight, when I actually haven't felt like writing in ages, is I wanted to make this parting prediction on record before tomorrow's draw! When we went through the group stage I stated that it seemed destined for us to go through as we were playing awful. I now think we are destined to meet Pep in the final having not made top 4, with a victory from Pep meaning his new team will not have champions league football next year! But we do it! Now wouldn't that be mental. Also selfishly I want a Madrid club in the semi, preferably Real, as I will go and stay with my mate pabs who has since moved back to Madrid!

Well it's interesting to say the least! Till the next time, it's been emotional!
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