Newsletter #185
A critical win and two match reports describing it. Discussing our current predicament with MCIVTAers Saturday & Sunday revealed that most see us as already relegated. This isn’t really defeatist but more a ‘coming to terms’; if we now escape relegation then it’ll be a real bonus. Who’d have bet against Liverpool and the Rags in the last two weeks against Coventry and Southmapton, respectively? That’s what happens when you end up relying on other people losing! Plenty of opinion in this issue as usual… lately!!!
Nice to meet a few more faces at the weekend; thanks to Malcolm, Rob and Dan for all their effort.
Next game, Aston Villa away, Saturday 27th April 1996MATCH REPORT ‘LIVE’
MANCHESTER CITY (1) vs. (0) SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY, Saturday 13th April 1996
Team: Immel, Frontzeck (Phillips), Symons, Curle, Brightwell, Lomas, Clough, Kinkladze, Brown, Rösler, Kavelashvili (Quinn).
Unused Sub: Margetson.
Attendance: 30,898
Formation:4-4-2.
Weather: Cold, Overcast.
Pitch: Firm.
Referee: Robbie Hart (Darlington).
After a brief natter at the MCITVA meet (thanks Malcolm) we went into the ground later than usual. I was surprised to see a few people being let through the turnstiles (obviously without tickets). I think they were using intimidation on the young turnstile lad. By the time the steward arrived, they had hot-footed it away. During the game I noticed a lot of people standing at the back who had obviously got in the same way. A case for stewards outside the turnstiles perhaps?
The match started to a crescendo of noise from the full house. City started as if they meant business but quickly faded. The noise from the crowd likewise. In truth the first half was very dull. Kavelashvili made some good runs but was crowded out in the box. He had one goal attempt which he scuffed and Pressman saved easily. Kinky had a couple of runs and hit a curler from the edge of the box which was easily picked off again by the ‘keeper. Rösler looked lively and slightly sharper than of late. He frequently won the ball against Des Walker and laid off good balls. Frontzeck started by giving the ball away again but after that settled down and got forward a lot. I thought he was looking as good as he did on his home début. Firm in the tackle and always looking to supply crosses when in an advanced position. Brown was my man of the first half, making many timely interceptions and tackles.
Wednesday should have scored when Blinker crossed into the path of Hirst who should have scored from 3 yards but blasted into the North Stand. Brightwell looked distinctly unhappy at right back and he has stated in the past that he doesn’t like playing there.
Half Time: 0-0 (United losing 3-0. S**t!)
I expected Phillips on at half time to give us some width but AB persevered with the same formation. After 10 minutes of the half City started to get on top. From one cross Kavelashvili half connected and the ball span to Clough who hit Pressman’s legs from point blank range. Kinky had another long range shot after one of ‘those’ runs and his powerful shot whistled past the angle. Another Brightwell cross saw Lomas and Kavelashvili meet it at the same time, the problem being that Kav was trying an acrobatic scissors kick, whilst Lomas was trying to head it. Lomas was the one who connected but it span harmlessly wide just behind Uwe. Just at the peak of our onslaught AB made the substitution with Quinn and Phillips replacing Kavelashvili and Frontzeck respectively. I thought this was a little hard on Frontzeck who was having a good match but it was purely a tactical move.
Almost instantly Brown knocked a ball over to Phillips’ wing which Steve Nicol nodded into touch. Phillips took the throw to Quinn who swivelled and crossed it for Uwe to slam pass Pressman on the volley. Hysteria! I was particularly pleased with the reactions of Frontzeck and Kavelashvili who jumped off the bench, arms aloft (Summerbee take note!). There appeared to be some kind of disturbance in the North Stand where the celebrations had taken place (were they trying to throw out the guy who ran on the pitch to hug Uwe?). We had a great chance to go 2 up when a long ball from the back found Gio in acres of space. I thought he was going to put it in himself but he unselfishly passed to Phillips who was in a better position. Phillips constrived to hit the post when it was easier to score.
Wednesday brought on Waddle and began to dominate proceedings and should have scored when Pembridge was put through in a 1 on 1 situation. He tried to slide the ball under Eike who made a good save. Hirst who was unmarked in the middle of the box was livid. Pleat brought Pembridge straight off and replaced him with Sheridan. The last ten minutes were sheer hell. Non-stop Wednesday pressure and if I’d had any finger nails left they would have been gobbled up ravenously. We survived after 2 minutes of stoppage time and the reaction of the fans and players alike was ecstatic.
Unfortunately the wins for Coventry and Southampton (blame the loss on the kits, obviously!) mean that we are still favourites for the 3rd relegation spot. We have 2 to play, while they have 3 each.
Ratings: Immel 7, Brightwell 6, Frontzeck 8, Curle 6, Symons 8, Clough 8, Kinkladze 7, Lomas 7, Brown 8, Kavelashvili 7, Rösler 8, Quinn 7, Phillips 6.
P.S. Reading between the lines of Uwe’s post match interview, I think he was saying that he hates AB but loves the club.
Ken Foster (kf737@vossnet.co.uk)MATCH REPORT ‘LIVE’
MANCHESTER CITY (1) vs. (0) SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY, Saturday 13th April 1996
The threatened wholesale changes really failed to materialise; Buzzer was suspended so Brightwell dropped into the right back position, the biggest surprise being the omission of Quinn for Rösler; obviously Ball is scared to piss him off further!
City started well, putting Wednesday under quite a bit of pressure but failing to really make any clear cut chances. Wednesday looked like they couldn’t really be bothered and I did wonder whether a goal would see them cave in. They appeared to be defending in depth and then hoping to catch us on the break which they threatened to do but only actually managed once. City mopped up most of the attacks they strung together except for one where Frontzeck appeared to lose Hirst who volleyed wide at the far post from a couple of yards out. Wednesday had a few shots but of the variety that Symons and Curle nonchalently let pass as they really were meat and drink to Eike.
At the other end, Lomas and Kinky had shots but our approach play frequently foundered on the rock of Wednesday’s tall defence. We had no wide players and no Quinn so the only way through was on the ground; City repeatedly aimed high balls into the box which were no problem for Newsome et al. There was a sagging feeling creeping upon us at half time, passes were beginning to go astray and a real edginess was evident.
A rumour swept the Kippax at half time that United were 3-0 down; I half passed it off as just that, a rumour! City once again took the game to Wednesday and within 5 minutes had a great opportunity with the defence all over the place; the ball fell to Clough who smacked it goalward from 3 yards out only for Pressman to bring off an excellent save. Wednesday never really looked like scoring and the dangerous Blinker was well marshalled by Bobby Brightwell. Ball rang the changes with 25 minutes to go, bringing on Quinn and Phillips for Kav and Frontzeck. Within 2 minutes we scored; Phillips played the ball into Quinn on the edge of their box and he swept the ball into the goalmouth where Rösler gave Pressman no chance from 2 yards out. A guy who hugged Uwe was unceremoniously and very heavy-handedly escorted from the ground clutching his two kids. This was met with a chorus of boos from the Kippax; it all seemed a little unnecessary to me.
Great relief was soon replaced by a severe anxiety attack; surely we had scored too early? Surely they would score in the remaining 20 minutes? Wednesday now did some attacking whilst City froze; the entire midfield seemed unable to cross the halfway line for fear of letting a goal in. We did however, have a golden opportunity to score when Kinky ran at their defence, dragged three players towards him and then squared it to the completely unmarked Phillips. He was only 4 yards out but managed to hit the post; he looked stunned to see it roll back into play. My God, I thought, that was the killer blow and we missed it. We were nearly punished by Pembridge who beat the offside trap; Immel made an excellent save but Pembridge should have been hung for not passing inside to Hirst who would have had a simple tap-in. The referee seemed to play an inordinate amount of injury time though I shouldn’t make out we hung on because Wednesday never really looked much like scoring (I can say that now!).
Ratings:
Immel (8) Excellent save, came for crosses which elicited sustained applause, but really only had to get in the way of several speculative Wednesday efforts.
Brightwell (7) Marked Blinker well but his distribution is awful; he also dropped several clangers late on which could have cost us dear.
Frontzeck (7) Overlapped well but was frequently caught upfield and lost the normally lethal Hirst at the back post.
Curle (6) Some nice defending but his usual sloppy distribution and appalling heading were much in evidence. Lomas looks around to see who he might head the ball to, whilst Curle merely nods it straight back out to an opposition player.
Symons (8) Played excellently and told Frontzeck exactly what he thought about him losing Hirst.
Lomas (7) Quite a good game and looked to try to score several times.
Kinky (6) Largely anonymous, looked jaded.
Brown (8) Excellent game, harried, passed well and attacked when he saw space.
Clough (7) Good contribution, unlucky not to score.
Kavelashvili (7) Ran well but lost the ball several times; the team needs to look for him as he made several excellent runs which went unnoticed.
Rösler (7) Played very well, passionate and a good finish.
Quinn (7) Made the goal.
Phillips (6) He’s tricky but he’ll have to learn that he can’t outrun defenders… yet!
NEWS – ONLY 99.9% CHANCE HE STAYS BUT 0.1% CHANCE HE GOES!
It seems that City’s resolve to keep Gio Kinkladze at Maine Road could be cracking. Recent speculation about the Georgian’s future has been met with firm denials from the club; Francis Lee has been quoted as saying that “if Kinkladze goes, I go.” However, on GMR this morning, Lee said that he was (only) “99.9% certain” that Kinkladze would stay at the club even if we are relegated (which looks pretty likely now). Lee went on to add that it didn’t matter anyway as we wouldn’t be going down. I wish I shared his confidence. Anyway, that 0.1% chance of Kinkladze leaving may well be only a small possibility but the possibility is there. Lee’s statement itself is reminscent of one made by Peter Swales in 1975: “If Ron Saunders goes, I go.” We all know what happened there.
The MoleMCIVTA F.C.
I am pleased to report that yesterday’s event was an unprecedented success. I would embarrass those who said they would turn up and didn’t, except much to my surprise, everyone was true to their word. However, just to confuse things a little, Benny turned up to bring the body count to 19!
In all, we managed to play 5 games of six-a-side, with each game of 20 minutes becoming progressively faster (or maybe it was me becoming progressively slower or even both!). I do feel however, that there was a little bit of deception on the part of several people who considered themselves as players with little skill/practice.
Afterwards we managed the couple of stairs to the bar upstairs where the Newcastle/Villa match was showing.
People must have actually enjoyed themselves (though I wonder how some of them are feeling this morning – Tony?) as they were enquiring about a follow-up fixture. The plan now is to have another similar event in a couple of weeks.
Thanks to all who turned up and made it a great afternoon, especially the sod who left me with a lovely bruise. Anyone know any decent ‘keepers though?
Robert Watson (rw@wg.icl.co.uk)THE REAL REASON UNITED LOST!
Don’t believe the press about the Rags losing at S’oton because of their shirts – it was me that caused it.
After an impassioned plea for Sugar Puffs to be bought in the weekly shopping I do of a Saturday morning, we unpacked the shopping to find that they have a small ‘action’ statuette a few players inside them. Six in all, and of course we got Lee Sharpe.
Being in a capricious mood, and getting more than a little twitchy, I decided to stick a few pins into said statuette. Left it sitting on a chest of drawers in the dining room.
About 2.45, I had to take our daughter out to a party; turned on the radio about 3.15 to find Alan Green in a state of high excitement. “Oh no” I thought, realising what I had done – the one game in the season when I actually want them to win, I go and put the kibosh on it. At one point in the car I even found myself saying “Come on , U*****”.
I shall, of course, be seeking urgent medical advice on this matter. You can all blame me if we do go down.
Jeremy Poynton (jp@deadhead.geac.co.uk)GENERAL COMMENTS ON:
Derby Match
Nice to see the Rags in the executive boxes (with suits and ties on) spitting and throwing coins on the AA upper Kippax stand. One coin came within a yard of me and my girlfriend. It is apparent that they do not come under the same control as us ‘normal’ supporters. Surely they can be tracked down to their company and their bosses told? – the stewards knew who they were.
Wimbledon Match
I am trying to find a worse match than this that I have attended over the past 25 years and its proving tricky (I wasn’t at the 5-0). It was truly heartbreaking all round. The fans were as bad as the team in many ways (and I will accept some guilt).
OK we pay the gate money and are entitled to complain, but we are also part of ‘the club’ and there were 2 incidents which upset me:-
- Booing Curle – for whatever reason (I don’t think he is our worst player)is damanging to City – why boo? To tell Ball he is not wanted? – As we areat the end of the season Curle will be in the team and the fansreaction to him will affect his performance – for God’s sakes don’t boo(until the end of the season)!
- Keeping the ball – Fans are supposed to do this when we are ahead, notwhen we are 3-0 down! OK it was very near the end and we neverlooked like scoring, but you never know – it was our throw in and if takenquickly it could have led to an attack and maybe a goal – thus improving our(dire) goal difference which may be life saving at the end of the day.Additionally it doesn’t inspire confidence in the team; poor old Frontzeck,who was trying to take the throw in (and yes he did have a poor game) mustof been beside himself looking at us baffoons throwing the ball around.
At the final whistle it was a tearsome sight seeing the team clap the supporters for their ‘efforts’. I felt the whole ‘club’ could have done better. In conclusion, we have to help to inspire confidence in the team – we have the skill and a positive attitude could mean Premiership football next year.
Looking Forward
My next game will be Liverpool and I think they will beat us (they did no favours for Blackburn last season) and they are a team buzzing at the moment. IMHO I think we will be going down but I will be passionately cheering City on to the last whistle – we have a chance.
Shares
Reading the Financial Times the other day, it says (and this is news to me) that City’s shares can be dealt through a ‘semi-exchange’ called OFEX. I believe this is where buyers and sellers are matched directly. It also says that City’s shares have risen 16% since the beginning of the year!!! I will be enquiring about the shares and will keep you all posted.
All for now, be positive and keep cheering.
Martin Reynolds (100633.416@CompuServe.COM)VIA FOSSA INCIDENT
Further to the Via Fossa incident, I was (one of at least three MCIVTAers) in Via Fossa on Friday night, and had a quick word with a mate who works behind the bar, and the manager. They confirmed that the incident was over-reported in the press (astonishing!). Apparently, there was a fairly sizeable group of City players in, of whom Keith Curle was the only one that the staff recognised. They were fairly loud, but nothing out of order – a glass did get broken, but it was not as a result of being thrown. Two players (not including Curle) went off to the toilets, and came back being fairly overtly homophobic, which resulted in two regulars leaving. It was apparently these two who approached the press. Keith Curle apologised to the manager as the group was leaving.
Dan Ellingworth (MSRBSDE@fs1.ec.man.ac.uk)OPINION – BALL
We have a saying here in America when one of our sports teams goes sour:
The fish rots from the head down.
Something stinks. Ball must go.
Dave Bara (102620.1663@CompuServe.COM)OPINION – TICKET OFFICE VIEW
I’m writing in dismayed response in the article from the “other side” of the ticket office at Maine Road. Having experienced the trauma of the ticket office queue more times than I care to remember, I now know why…
- If a tattoo relating to City is not a validation of support then I don’t know what is. Granted you wouldn’t like it stuck in a stamped addressed envelope and sent to the manager but come on??? How many Red scum do you know with MCFC tattooed on their person?
- Typical is the attitude of the ticket office staff; they wait until your temper is frayed until they “relent” and give you a ticket!!
Granted the staff in the office are under great stress at times and things have improved over the years, but come on, after queueing for hours in the p**s pouring rain, the last thing you need is some jumped up shirt and tie expecting you to grovel; after all, it is Man City and it is a “buyers’ market” !!!!
Ian Elliott (ife1@ukc.ac.uk)OPINION – VARIOUS
I read with interest Mark’s view from inside the ticket office and uphold virtually all the thing s he said. But the poor fella with the `blue scar’ (physical in addition to mental) – surely he doesn’t need an ID card to prove it, or does he have 20 odd (to allow for ups and downs) tattoos to beat the whole ID card system?
My burning issue is the goalkeeping situation at Maine Road. Eike Immel makes some tremendous saves but he’s in the wrong league. Stepney (an accepted Blue, even after seeing him on the dark side in the 70s) was commenting in the M(u)EN how he’s used to the German sweeper set up. Is this why we are pursuing 5 at the back?
I’m trying to forget TC, one of the most disappointing decisions I’ve seen by a supposed Blue, but we need a strong ‘keeper. If Bally’s sticking with Eike, here’s my solution. Michael Oakes. Villa are in need of a new centre half any time soon, and us with a spare £1m (formerly) rated and international colleague of old no knees pisspot, but tremendous on his day, McGrath; and the odd Premiership experienced and/or up and coming Welsh international goalies available. Well two and two. Keep Eike, groom our most loyal player’s son and pretty soon we might start to forge a team full of players who want to play for City.
There’s nothing wrong with the quality, the behind the scenes, the training: It’s the heart of the overpaid players that needs to be brought into question. Everyone at Maine Road is doing their bit; come on boys do yours, you are capable.
Whatever you do stay Blue (but don’t get a tattoo, `cos they don’t take them at the ticket office).
Dave Clinton (dclinton@acs.ryerson.ca)OPINION – VARIOUS
It’s nice to see that MCFC has given us (MCIVTA) some sort of access to within the club and they should be congratulated on that (ta also to Steve Bolton).
There were several points from the MCIVTA 184 that need (!) addressing, with my usual panache/criticism/whatever ;-))))
A message from within the ticket office; it was good to actually manage to hear their side of the story. From a personal point of view I’ve never had any real problems (mind you I’ve not needed that many tickets this season) other than the expected standing waiting for what seems like an eternity before getting served. However, that’s more than likely down to the other fans who insist on changing their minds several times when buying tickets!
As for the Rösler celebration, I didn’t see that until the MotD highlights. I missed it at the game ‘cos basically I was going Ape Sh*t, with the equaliser! I think it was definitely directed at AB; it didn’t do him any good as he was substitute at the Dons though (comments made on MotD have certainly indicated a strained relationship between Uwe and AB, which isn’t good). However, if this is the sort of response Uwe gives to being dropped, it might have been useful earlier in the season. It seems to have given him his fight back; beforehand he wasn’t giving his all, far too many times he would get knocked of the ball, spit his dummy out and whine at the referee instead of getting on with the game!
I thought it was interesting that Terry Thiele insisted that we give AB the full length of his contract to see if he could do anything. I’d wholeheartedly agree that a manager does need time and unlike before it looks like FHL will give him time. If we’d stuck with the likes of Machin or Reid longer then maybe they’d have turned out a decent team by now. Mind you that can be said of any of the previous (dozen or so) managers that have been fired when the going’s got tough. Strange however, that Lee is willing to give Ball a full contract to do whatever he wants even though it looks increasingly likely that it’ll be Endsleigh Div One, whereas Horton was kicked straight out. Is there some logic there?
Also it was mentioned that no-one has any right to be in the Premiership, which once more is right (although I can eventually see the day that Sky and the FA form a elite division where only the leading teams are allowed to play and everyone else is excluded). I’d like to disagree with the claim that City are a big club. The only thing big about the club is the name; we can no longer compete on the field, off the field financially, groundwise or any of the major parts of which being a great football club entails. We’ve got a fantastic (and patient) set of supporters who have kept the club going but unless we get some success soon, they’ll desert the club. I hope the board realises that they need the fans to keep the club going.
Picky, fed up, just the usual pessimistic me!
Martin Ford (MFORD@fs1.li.umist.ac.uk)OPINION – SOME THOUGHTS ON THE WEEKEND
Sterling performance! – NICE QUICK CHANGE UNTIDY! –
So City still in the s**te, but slightly less deep now; as for that trash from the red side of Manchester, thanks for the help, not!
Do they do City a favour and beat Southampton? Do they ***k! Let’s lose 3-1, have some fun, blame it on the kit, soft ba*t**ds, changing it at half time! Mind you it opens up all sorts of possibilities… 2 kits per game, a first half home kit and a 2nd half home kit! So the fans can change at half time too… not just when United are winning! Or when Liverpool win everything!
What crap, doesn’t Alex F want a derby next season? Oh I forgot Palace might be coming up! Local derby for the United fans, mind you they will be a bit miffed at having to go all the way to Sunderland and Derby!
Guess I will have to watch Scratch of the Day to see if United were s**t or Southampton were as good as Radio 5 Live made them out to be! Bollox!
I guess Alan Ball got his strike force partnership correct again! NOT!
- Derby day: Quinn – Kavi – Super Sub Rösler on and scores! erm…
- Today: Rösler – Kavi – Bring on Quinn first touch sets up Rösler! er…
Mind you the suspension of Buzzer might not have been a bad thing! Doubt he could have coped with the Blinker chap! So keep grinning Alex… City fans are laughing tonight… it is off to Villa Park… shame we ain’t got Peter Reid to score and cheer up!
Come on Newcastle.. at least stuff Southampton!
For the drop
- Bolton
- QPR
- ……… TBA (City/Coventry/Southampton)
Battle on the Blues…
Richard D Frost (rdf01@students.stirling.ac.uk)OPINION – HOPE
Well, we got the result that we had to have, and things are bleaker than ever. I won’t bore you with the maths; you know. Let me try to offer at least one ray of hope. Liverpool’s title chase effectively ended at Coventry a couple of weeks ago in an ugly match that saw John Salarko perhaps end the career of on of the Merseysiders. Liverpool spent much of the afternoon trying to enact revenge, without success. All things being equal, they would probably not shed any tears if they could play some small part in helping Coventry out of the PL – like mailing one in at Maine Road on May 5th. It is, of course, possible that Liverpool will have something to play for in their own right (City could help in this regard by getting a result at Villa, giving Liverpool some breathing room), and it is possible that Coventry could make this all academic by then anyway. I would be interested in hearing any of your opinions (as you actually get to watch this stuff, and I can only read about it) as to whether there is any hope for Leeds helping us out at in that last match of the season. They seem to be so off right now that I have all but written in those three points for the Sky Blues. Yours nervously,
Bob Kelley (KELLEY@GRUMPY.CHATHAM.EDU)OPINION – PERFORMANCE
After the Derby game I was still hopeful that we would avoid relegation, for though we may not have a good a team as the Rags, City played with some passion. The Wimbledon match was supposedly an appalling performance and I did not have much hope on Saturday of the 3 points we needed so badly. I have to say that the team had no passion and that we were very lucky to win. Despite good performances from Lomas, Brown, Immel and Quinn (for the short time he was on), we looked like we should be relegated. Kinky was man-marked and so had a quiet game, but we cannot just rely on him. The defence was awful, we really need a good captain and centre-half to replace Curle, and maybe we will then not give away goals like the second United goal in the Derby game. The City goal was well set up by Quinn and City generally played better in the second half. Phillips missed an open-goal; I do not rate him as a player (hopefully he will improve with age) as he has got no strength and speed and his skill is not enough to get him out of trouble. I have only seen City play three times this season: (Newcastle and Man United were the other two) and it was by a long way the worst performance, and ironically the only game of the three we won. If we play like that against Liverpool we may get stuffed 6-0 again.
Despite this moan, I was relieved to get the 3 points and we have to win or draw both the the remaining games if we are going to stay in the Premiership. So keep your fingers crossed. Come on City!
A.D.Heylin@newcastle.ac.ukOPINION – ATTITUDES
Sorry this is long winded but I need some form of catharsis…
With two games to go against the teams in third and fourth places with arguably two of the best strike forces in the Premiership playing for these teams and us having what can only be described as a joke for a defence, we are *****d.
It’s not the going down aspect to this season that angers me but the way in which we are doing it. All season it has been “too good to go down”, which I have agreed with. Now though, when it comes to the crunch we are neither too good nor bothered enough to stay up. We may have beaten Wednesday but the performance and attitude of some of the players and 24,000 of the crowd left me wondering just whether or not their hearts where committed to City, whether we stay up or go down.
The atmosphere was terrible. I know we are tense and worried but sitting there in a mard-arsed mood while the Wednesday fans taunt and laugh at us isn’t going to make things better. I’ve never seen so many people content to sit there and ‘enjoy’ the atmosphere as long as they don’t have to join in. If we are that supposed extra man, it’s time somebody kicked us up the arse and told us to remember who we are, where we are and more importantly why we’re there. At least when we go down we’ll get back to having 18,000 committed supporters who will sing us on whatever happens while the rest can find somewhere else to sit and whinge. Bring on the laughable ‘singing section’…
With regards to matters on the pitch it’s time that players like Clough (who jumped the ship at Forest), Kinky (if we can get £7 million for a player who can’t tackle or cope with being man marked we should sell him) and Frontzeck realised that we are now relying on other teams to lose as well as our unlikely needed winning streak. Like the crowd itself, there were far too many players on the pitch who sound concerned but when it comes down to it the graft has to be done by others. It might be a coincidence but all our foreign signings and Clough have all experienced dips in form during this run in. Do they understand what the consequences of the Endsleigh are for a club of this size? More worryingly I fear they do but seem content in the knowledge that they can move at the end of the season.
It is our younger players and those with a downward step on the transfer ladder who are fighting at the moment. It is also more than likely that these players will be the ones who, given the chance, will stay and fight next season as well. Poor Michael Brown gets so much abuse every time he makes a mistake yet is the only one who is committed to getting up and tackling back. If Kinky or Clough muck up it is excused. At this moment in time I’d rather have a team of Quinns and Browns than Kinkys and I’d be more confident of staying up.
This isn’t a Kinky backlash, just an angry rant about the lack of fight and heart in the team at the moment. Where’s Keith Curle when they need geeing up? Chasing shadows probably. Does anyone else get this frustrated? I’d run like a blue-arsed fly until I dropped for City. I’d make damn sure that if I was good enough to get £2,000 a week from people like me to entertain people like me, I’d try my hardest, and then some, to make those people in the stands know that at least I cared and was giving 100%.
As it is I fear there are a few, who when the going gets tough, expect others to do it for them.
Let’s go down giving our all. I’d rather lose at home to Liverpool 5-2 than 1-0 and be able to sit in the Findus Food stand at Grimsby next season knowing that City had gone at Liverpool with two wingers, a striker and attack-minded defenders and midfielders. Suicide on the last day of the season… probably only as much as playing Clough at sweeper, letting Curle take penalties, fighting with your two strikers in public, turning down Hagi, selling Tony Coton days before a derby, selling Terry Phelan leaving us with one recognised left-back who could never ever get injured (could he?), swapping Paul Walsh for Gerry Creaney and some dosh, selling Garry Flitcroft with a few games left to go in the season that don’t need battlers in midfield as we’re too sodding good to go down etc. etc. etc. etc.
Hindsight and scapegoats. Not really. I’d forget all of that if the players we had now looked like they gave a damn.
Medals to Michael Brown, Niall Quinn (plus diplomat of the year award), Kit Symons, Ian Brightwell, Scott Hiley and Buster Phillips.
Reminders of what they can do to Uwe Rösler and Gio Kinkladze.
A kick up the arse and a tour of Maine Road so that they stop treating it like the office and start treating it like something they love and understand to the rest of them.
A thoroughly down and miserable…
Michael Barry (michael.sharp@sunderland.ac.uk)REQUEST – US TV HELP
I am looking for help from fellow U.S. MCIVTA subscribers on finding City and English League football on TV here. When I lived in Kansas last year, we got an occasional game on the Colorado-based Premiere Sports Network (usually the match of last year’s champs – Go Rovers!). Since I’ve moved to Michigan, I can’t find matches anywhere. Any suggestions?
Jana Byington-Smith (janab@ftp.rsp.med.umich.edu)OASIS TICKET
I have one Oasis ticket for the 28th. Any takers please e-mail me as soon as possible. I will also swap it for a season ticket for next year if anyone is thinking of ending it all come Endsleigh League Div 1.
Nick Mills (nick@skoles.demon.co.uk)RESULTS
Saturday, April 13 1996
CHELSEA 4-1 LEEDS UNITED 22,131 COVENTRY CITY 1-0 QUEENS PARK RANGERS 22,910 MANCHESTER CITY 1-0 SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 30,898 MIDDLESBROUGH 1-2 WIMBLEDON 29,192 NOTTINGHAM FOREST 1-5 BLACKBURN ROVERS 25,273 SOUTHAMPTON 3-1 MANCHESTER UNITED 15,262 WEST HAM UNITED 1-0 BOLTON WANDERERS 23,086
Sunday, April 14 1996
NEWCASTLE UNITED 1-0 ASTON VILLA 36,510
Monday, April 15 1996
ARSENAL 0-0 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 38,273
Mon 15 Apr
Team Played Won Drawn Lost For Against Points Manchester United 35 22 7 6 64 35 73 Newcastle United 34 22 4 8 62 35 70 Liverpool 34 19 8 7 66 31 65 Aston Villa 35 18 8 9 51 32 62 Arsenal 35 16 10 9 46 30 58 Tottenham Hotspur 35 15 11 9 45 35 56 Everton 35 15 9 11 57 41 54 Blackburn Rovers 35 15 6 13 54 42 54 Nottingham Forest 34 14 11 9 46 48 53 West Ham United 35 14 7 14 41 47 49 Chelsea 35 12 12 11 43 40 48 Middlesbrough 36 11 10 15 35 46 43 Leeds United 34 12 6 16 39 52 42 Wimbledon 35 10 10 15 53 65 40 Sheffield Wednesday 35 10 8 17 45 55 38 Southampton 35 8 10 17 33 51 34 Manchester City 36 8 10 18 30 56 34 Coventry City 35 7 12 16 40 60 33 Queens Park Rangers 36 8 6 22 35 54 30 Bolton Wanderers 36 8 5 23 38 68 29With thanks to Soccernet
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