What a mixed week it has been.
Last Saturday’s game against Walsall was one of mixed feeling, Dom’s son Teddy still hasn’t seen a City win this season and I couldn’t help but feel disappointed with a solitary point after a game that was as one sided as a majority attendance at a strip club (I’ve never even been to one).
Since Saturday, the sun has shone on the Coral Windows Stadium, I can finally put away my Vicks inhaler and forget about the disgusting taste of Lemsip’s as summer is fast approaching, though the current sight of dehydration and the rate at which I’m chucking away used tissues is quite worrying!
From now until may there’s the small matter of a Promotion and an FA Cup to win and the next two games will be absolutely crucial especially against sides that are “down there” in the form of Peterborough and Crawley Town.
For me, Saturday is the key one. If McLean is allowed to act out his horrible Mike Bassett role on the touchline then there’s no doubt at all that it will lead to Fireworks on the touchline. Mr McLean has completely distanced himself from the Club since his loan departure a few months ago, almost like City don’t exist which is a shame because his “dollah dollah” is coming straight from our accounts, simply put – he shouldn’t be allowed to be anywhere near the field of play.
In recent weeks City have been hit hard with injuries to Hanson, Morais and Davies and it’s no surprise after the amount of consecutive games they have all played, they need handling with care like a pretty woman’s heart or the care you take when eating a Cadbury's Flake.
Walsall are a poor side, one threatening attack led to their goal which hasn’t happened for a number of weeks against sides that sit back and hope for one chance, we the team must not do is play like they did in the first half against Swindon – PP constantly reminds the squad of quick starts and unless the tactics were different on Tuesday evening they didn’t come to fruition.
Saturday’s game is going to be a scrap and the key men who has stepped up to his duty throughout the season is Rory McArdle, before he went to collect his Man of the Match award after the game against Walsall last week he received a new set of stitches to the cut he picked up against Sunderland and the swelling on his top lip looked like he had wrestled a large bear and in typical McArdle fashion – beat it!
Without the trio of players in the side we do lack that energy and spark that we have seen constantly in recent weeks, I think this shows when Billy Clarke has suddenly become a focal point of the starting XI and the physical aspects of each performance is severely hindered without the Davies and Hanson strength defending and attacking set pieces, let’s hope that they will be back fully fit for Crawley at home, if not then we will almost certainly see them back a week later.
Of course, the current league positions of Peterborough and Crawley are quite deceiving, a win in both of these games would keep our ambitions on track and a mighty confidence boost as all the focus turns to the Quarter Final against Reading next Saturday lunchtime which could see Bradford City on their way to Wembley once again!
Match pictures used in this article are taken by Thomas Gadd Photography.