One month, two months, six months, ten years. It isn’t that important.
Afternoon all and a happy mid week to you. At least, I think it’s mid week. Three early starts, and an actual run where you put your legs in front of you quicker than a walk, have caused my internal clock to go haywire. I’m in bed by half ten most nights at the moment. Although that may be more down to my age than anything else.
I see that various ‘outlets’ are saying that Fab could be back playing within six months but, again, I would urge caution. There are any number of factors that could come into play before he does, one of the most important being the psychological. As anyone who has suffered a football injury, or any sporting injury (for me a fractured jaw, three seperate broken fingers on three seperate occassions and more bouts of concussion than I care to remember) will know, it isn’t the physical you have to worry about, more the mental. I know that me sticking my fizzog near the boot of a fairground workers right foot isn’t the same as actually dying and being brought back to life in a non-Living Dead kind of way, but the general argument is the same. Goalkeepers are crazy, some would say we actually look forward to getting hurt, but I don’t know how I would think about returning to play if what had happened to Fab happened to me.
I know that Khalilou Fadiga had the same kind of implement put in their chest that Fab had and that he returned to football, but there is no saying that he will return to the level that he was at. Fadiga certainly didn’t reach the potential that he could have, although that wasn’t necessarily because of his heart problems. It was because he was rubbish. But I would have that nagging doubt in the back of my mind if I went on a lung bursting run.
And that is what bothers me about people putting a time frame on Muamba’s return. He may never return. I know that his recovery has been almost messianic but it comes with no guarantee. All this talk about returning serves to just put pressure on him to return and it is unwelcome and unneeded. As the club said in their statement on Monday:
‘It is important that Fabrice and his family are now given time and space to be together, and we would ask the media to continue to respect their privacy.’
No one is going to be sticking a camera up to his window any time soon, even our press (except maybe The Scum Sun) aren’t that bad. But I’m sure that Fab reads the press and although I’m sure his hope is to return to playing, any speculation as to when, to my mind, does more harm than good.
Elsewhere, the Gregg Wylde saga looks like it may be coming to an end as FIFA put aside looking for more sponsorship deals with firms who sell items that aren’t necessarily considered ‘healthy’ and get round to looking at the paperwork that seems to have been on their desk since Christmas. With just six games left, I don’t think that he could be considered a starter in any of the games, having not been allowed to even play for the reserves, but coming off the bench later in the game may prove to be more productive than sending on, say, Ivan Klantcareless.
As for Saturday’s game, it is reported that tickets are selling well. This is good news for the club, and does make you wonder if they haven’t put themselves into this position on purpose. After all, if this was a game against Swansea with nothing riding on it, you wouldn’t bet on 25,000 people coming down to Middlebrook. Or have I been reading too many conspiracy theory novels.
Saturday’s game will be the last that I can get too this season as I’ll be working when both the Spurs and West Brom games are on, so I’ll be expecting my own lap of honour please.
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Fantasy League now, and there is no movement at the top with Bertie’s Wizards, real betis hotpot and Bradley Lane FC still occupying the automatic qualification places. Team of the Week were Aaron Knight and his GloboGymPurpleCobras. OK. So, give yourself the gift of self love as a prize.
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Right, if there’s nothing else (checks News Now) we’ll see each other tomorrow. Enjoy