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"New Dawn Fades"

The honeymoon period is officially over, and we have come crashing back down to earth with a thud. Saturday's result has well and truly pissed on our chips. Our best start to a season for 30 years was followed by our worst defeat in over a decade. Typical City, you might say. As we now stand four points behind both Arsenal and United, I will, graciously, concede that we're unlikely to win the Premiership title. This season, at least. We're touching from a distance, but getting further all the time.

When heart and mind collide...Pompey pay the penalty

Why oh why do Pompey have to do this to the fans? Yes, the team is flying high. Yes, the position is a brilliant position to be in compared to two seasons ago blah blah blah...but missing a penalty in the last few seconds always hurts. FACT.

Do the bad thing

A few months ago one of my closest mates asked me to be the god father of his daughter. I am already the godfather of his son, but this was still an honour and generally just a nice thing to do.

The christening, and subsequent party, was booked well in advance for Sunday 28th October and all was well. That was until Everton qualified for the group stages of the UEFA Cup and our game got moved to Sunday with a 2pm kick off.   

Take Laughing Stock

No-one can think they have seen everything in football ... especially when the Spurs board push back the barriers of all that is decent, truthful and honest with a show of disdain for what a honourable man had achieved before sacking him ... then asking him to manage the Tottenham team, just for old time's sake.

Happy birthday, Roman

And so the revolution continues apace. Despite the innate conservatism of the Mourinho years, Chelsea have rediscovered their roots. Inferior opposition – and without the injured Kevin Kuranyi, inferior seems almost too mild a term for toothless Schalke – are being put to the sword with comfortable disdain. Faced with a stiffer challenge, such as the cauldron of fervour that is the Mestalla, the team rises to the challenge. Can Avram Grant really be the man to marry style with substance? 

Nutty (and) Slack

For all of people's insistence that Tottenham are irresistable going forward, it is a spotlight on the defence which is showing up the cracks in the side which is bleeding points at the moment.

Progression

Hangovers on a Tuesday, nowt worse.  Nothing like a good win and another three points to lift the fug though and that is exactly what we got at SJP last night against a Spurs side who seem to have a few headaches of their own of late.

Same old same old

Did we play well or did we yet again self-destruct and lose? Yes we put in a good performance but a distinct lack of experience and concentration means we continue to leave the game as the valiant loser. A tag we desperately need to remove before we become the side who somehow managed to end up back in the Championship.

Life at the top...Pompey's noses are bleeding...

Fifth? FIFTH?? And not only that, PORTSMOUTH occupy that slot?? What is the world coming to. Just ten short years ago the notion of Pompey chasing the European spots would be akin to 'The porcine hangliding school' and 'Satan's igloos' coming to fruition. What a difference a decade makes.

"Let the good times roll again..."

Another home victory, another clean sheet... City's consistency and professionalism is bordering on the tedious now. Whatever happened to the Manchester City I know, the farcical City I grew up with? You'd never quite know what you were in for when going to Maine Road or Eastlands; it would veer from the sublime to the ridiculous, and back again, often in the space of a few minutes.

Derby are relegated & it suits us fine

Derby are relegated. Paddy Power says so, The Sun's fixed odds columnist said so yesterday and most fans on any forum you visit (including ours!) say so.

We got promoted too early, we haven't spent any money and the team is embarrassingly short of the standard required for the Premier league. We've been mullered everywhere on the road & there's even a text gag flying around which spoofs the current ITV situation, saying the Premier league are being investigated for letting Derby enter a competition they cant possibly win in.

Tight fisted Whelan paying the price

After a string of poor Wigan Athletic displays, topped with the performance against Portsmouth in the 2-0 defeat has seen Latics fans searching for answers. Personally I want to know where the "war chest" is.

It was back in August that the supporters were protesting for a new striker to be added before the deadline. It was hoped that a Premiership quality striker would be brought in to support the influential Emile Heskey.

Instead we got Bambi (Marcus Bent) on loan from Charlton in another cheap summer signing.

Further analysis of the summer transfer moves smack of chairman reluctant to give his manager funding to improve the team, and instead with one eye on his replacement.

The £5.5 million outlay on Jason Koumas was as good as recouped with the departure of Leighton Baines and the other additions (bar Michael Brown) were free transfers or loan moves.

Of course the additions of Titus Bramble, Mario Melchiot and Andreas Granqvist appear to be shrewd moves, but players like Antoine Sibierski (his impressive start aside) and Marcus Bent are just not what the club needs.

Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for the help that Dave Whelan has given to this club but he needs to show some backing or perhaps let in a group of foreign investors he hates so much. At least they would take pride in what we put out onto the pitch each week.

At the start of each summer our outspoken chairman spouts off about his backing for the manager and promises a £20 million war chest and each summer we get a few free transfers and one big signing.

So next time you are tempted by the Hutchings out idea, just remember that a workman is only as good as his tools. I dare say the display against Pompey would have been very different if we had Benjani and Utaka as our forward line instead of Bambi and Braindead.

Time to get the cheque book out Mr Whelan and spend some of that money the Icelandic men gave you for JJB. Ah I forget, the transfer window doesn't open until January and it could be too late by then.

Paul Farrington
WIGANER.net

Rob from CFC Net wins Fan of the Month for September

Sorry chaps, and especially you Rob, for the tardy service. I'm afraid I only have a rugby-related excuse ...

Here, a small matter of 19 days into the month of October, I'd like to make a short speech annointing Rob from CFC Net Fan of the Month for September.

He showed exemplary dedication, control and emotion during a very difficult period at his club. Jose left, the club went into a spiralling nosedive and yet Rob still viewed matters with a passionate clarity.

Straight after Jose had downed his last gin sling in Chelsea Harbour and returned to the comforting bosom of his home nation, Rob found solace in The Departed One's sartorial elegance. It was all about the coat(s). (And "Surralexferrguson", it is alleged, tucks his shirts in his Y-fronts.)

Still emotional and searching for answers, Rob took Abramovich to task. Apparently, Ronaldinho, Kaka, Cesc Fabregas and Batman combined still couldn't fill the hole left by the Preening Portuguese Prima Donna Peacock.

Finally, and stung by the short-termism in evidence at Stamford Bridge, Rob turned all metaphysical in an effort to get to grips with the mystique of Roman Abramovich. How can fans love their great benefactor when they don't have a clue who he really is? (He also shivered with genuine fear at the possibility that the Russian was starting to medddle with the team-sheet.)

It has been a true soap opera and Rob has penned the script. Accept the bouquet, take a bow and wait for the champagne.

A magnum of bubbly is in the post...

James Major

Times Online Sports Editor

"Now I'm a believer..."

Manchester City fans are, by their very nature, life's eternal pessimists. If we see half a glass of milk not only is it half empty, but probably sour as well. We accepted long ago that our football team was rubbish, and would be forever more. But still we chose to attend. What else would we do? Indeed you got the impression that many Blues simply attended games to vent their frustrations at how shit life is ("Thirty grand a week, Barton? Thirty grand?! They should pay that to me for having to watch you"). I, invariably, ended up sat behind these people. At every game. For 25 bloody years. It'll come as no surprise to learn that Ian Curtis, the troubled Joy Division singer and subject of Anton Corbijn's new film Control, was also a City fan.

Young guns ain't firing

After watching Arsenal youngsters crush almost everyone in their path (including us) with their unbelievable array of youth players, I have started to wonder why our crop of young guns seem to fade into obscurity as soon as they leave the safety of the U18s and enter the big bad world of professional football.

'Re of Light (sorry!)

A funny old game but one that gave us a valuable three points after last week's tonking in Manchester.  Sam raised a few eyebrows with his team selection - arguably player of the season so far Rozenhal only made the bench and Smith got his long desired start up front but it's hard to argue with a winning team and the changes did seem to work well.

Slow and steady loses the race

Giving Arsenal a two goal lead is unforgivable, giving them it after 14 minutes is inexcusable but fighting back like warriors only to lose is damn right unbearable. Welcome to the world of a Sunderland fan, leave your heart at the front door on your way in, it will only get shattered.

No goals, no points...Part 5

In a weekend dominated by my two least favourite sports- driving and egg chasing, Derby v. Reading was unlikely to grab any headlines. However, for Rams fans it was quite a significant game. After a few high profile hammerings, this was finally a chance to do something, anything, away from home. Reading was also a good benchmark. Essentially a team of good Championship players when promoted, Reading proved that it might not take a Sunderland style £35m trolley dash to cope with the Premierhip...

Stranger Things Have Happened

The last week have seen some amazing scenes.  The 125th Birthday celebration that saw us rise from the dead to earn a 4-4 draw with Villa amid manic scenes and then the unbridled joy of the Anorthosis supporters as they scored against Spurs ... although that is not such an unusual thing these days.

Rafa must risk journalistic scorn

To get Liverpool's stuttering season back on track Rafa must do one of two things on Sunday guaranteed to get the press pack spluttering: either drop Steven Gerrard or play him "out of position" on the right. Of course this will necessitate that dreaded word rotation but the team should be above one individual or the sensibilities of journalists.

A book's troubled ending that is essential reading for any football fan

European week. Even in these days of overkill, when meeting the likes of Barcelona is no longer a rare, exotic treat but something that can be relied on to happen every few years, the thought of European nights sets the pulse racing for any fans whose team qualifies for continental competition. Especially if you are, like me, a Liverpool supporter.

Short-term answers hide Chelsea's real problems

Since taking over the reins from the most successful manager in Chelsea's history, Avram Grant has presided over a lame capitulation to Manchester United, a comfortable spanking of Championship strugglers Hull, and this disjointed scoreless draw against Fulham. Surely, it's time for him to pack his suitcase and be off?