"Reasons to be cheerful, part three"

I never felt more like singing the Blues, when City win, United lose. The popular terrace anthem may make little sense (surely singing the blues means you're feeling sad?!), but this weekend saw that rarest of occurrences: a City win and a United defeat. It's the little things like this that restore your faith in humanity. The fact that our victory was a touch fortuitous and came in the last minute of playing time made it all the sweeter. City just don't do last minute winners (we are the team, after all, who specialise in snatching defeat from the jaws of victory), and certainly not twenty yard volleys into the top corner. United's defeat coming at the hands of an ex-City player, albeit the unlovable Nicolas Anelka, was the icing on the cake. No doubt I'll be accused of being bitter or obsessed by United fans, but they're hypocrites. All football fans relish the misfortune of their rivals.

City, once again, were a little below par in defeating plucky Reading but Sven seems to have the midas touch in grinding out results when the team aren't playing particularly well. Either that or he's a lucky bastard (the fact that he's bedded a series of beautiful women despite resembling Montgomery Burns suggests the latter). I love Eriksson, he exudes class. And you've gotta love a player, right? Unless it's Joey Barton, only a player in the most literal sense (still glad to be joining a team with ambition Joey?). Sven is dignity personified in his dealings with the media, displaying charm, intelligence and a dry wit in equal measures. How the FA could do with such a charismatic figurehead. Eh? Oh...

England's tragi-comic failure to qualify for the European Championships in 2008 has put Eriksson's record as national manager in context. Easily qualifying for major tournaments and then going on to reach the last eight, England's natural level I might add, seems a pipe dream right now.

Interestingly, sections of the press are now linking Harry Redknapp with the England vacancy following Steve McLaren's inevitable sacking. In last week's column I was a little concerned that it might be libellous to question Redknapp's business dealings; after his arrest today I feel somewhat vindicated.

Even more pleasingly agent Willie Mackay, a man whose sole vocation in life is seemingly to shaft Manchester City Football Club at every opportunity, was also arrested. Advising Joey Barton to hand in a transfer request just days before the transfer window closed, demanding a £300k loyalty payment when Barton eventually left, unsettling Sylvain Distin, attempting to unsettle Stephen Ireland, and, perhaps most unforgivably of all, getting us to buy Ousmane Dabo (even on a free transfer I feel robbed); it's fair to say Mackay is not a popular figure with City fans. Manchester is positively dripping in schadenfreude right now.

On Saturday City visit the JJB Stadium with the opportunity to beat one of "Stunning" Steve Bruce's sides for the second time in as many months. Incredibly we have lost every single Premiership game we've played against Wigan but City will be confident of taking all three points. A victory will see us consolidate our Champions League position and compound Wigan's relegation fears. The locals will be choking on their pie barmcakes. Throw in another unlikely defeat for United and we'll be singing the Blues once more...

Ric Turner
www.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk

Comments

[stonerblue]

Barmcake or muffin ?