Because we’re playing York, see?
Evening all. It`s York tomorrow in the cup, and hopefully we should put the run of bad results behind us. Never mind taking them seriously. They are in the Conference, we are seventh in the Premier League and if we don`t win at a canter, I`ll be taking a four fingered Kit-Kat and sticking it somewhere on St Owen where the sun don`t shine.
I have a problem with York. A friend of mine lost his job when they had those floods a few years back, there`s not a lot of call for a lollipop man when the only things crossing the road are ducks, and I once got covered in chocolate when I fell into a vat at the Rowntree`s factory. Some may say this would have been a good thing, but I hate dark chocolate and much prefer Cadbury`s. I know there are times when I could lick myself. That wasn`t one of them.
I don`t know an awful lot about York, except that it has a cathedral, but once I`ve done a bit of digging, I`m sure I`ll come up with a preview tomorrow morning.
However, I will try a continue with the chocolate imagery and to start off, we come to a Flake. And by Flake, I mean David Wheater. Reports in a right wing paper today suggests that, if Gary Cahill is sold, and that is in itself a mighty big if, we will be looking to the Middlesbrough and former England defender to take his place. Wheater was once hailed as the new John Terry (not in that way) and performed well even as Middlesbrough were relegated. What speaks volumes is that no one has been in for him since then, as Middlesbrough have struggled to even stay in the Championship and if we were looking for a good Championship defender, we`ve just let one go to Leeds. I understand that Wheater is younger than AOB but cannot help thinking that a team doing well at the top of the Premier League can do a lot better than a defender for a mid table at best Championship side. Surely Arsenal have got a spare youthful defender they can chuck at us if the Vela deal falls through. Or even if it doesn`t.
St Owen, who I see as a Dime Bar (soft on the outside, hard on the inside rather than the derogatory use of the term) has said that he would be very happy to sign Rogrido Moreno Machado di Silva Francesca el mother Theresa (a Mars Dark) on a permanent basis. There may be a problem with this due to Real Madrid having a buy back clause in his contract at any time over the next 18 months, although with Lee being the first choice, the chances of him getting regular first team action after February will diminish somewhat. I like Rodrigo. He seems to know his position in the team, is fleet of foot and knows where the goal is and he will learn a lot in his season with us. The loan deal appears to be more convoluted than Paul Robinson`s last year, which was a head scratcher. In more ways than one.
Tamir Cohen has told the Israeli press that he will decide over the next few weeks where his future lies after the death of his father. His mother thinks that he should remain at T`Reebok as this is what Avi would have wanted, but he is wrestling with the issue of whether he should return to Israel to be with his family. There is no doubt that the club should give Tamir all the support he needs in making his decision. My father died young when I was twenty one, and returning to normality is hard. I had the advantage of having a family close, rather than on another continent, but Tamir should realise that he cannot make snap decisions after so sudden a loss. The problem for the club is that this is a results driven business and, although we are down to the bare bones, he has never been anything other than third choice for his position this season. Difficult decisions will have to be made concerning the player, not just now but in the summer, and maybe a loan deal back to his homeland will suit all parties, with a look at where he is come July.
Burnley fans (the kind of chocolate you give your worst enemy – Fry`s Turkish Delight) are jumping all over the fact that some newspapers are touting St Owen as Woy`s successor at Anfield with more relish than they normally reserve for their sister/mother at bedtime. Some would have thought that after a year, and especially after we gifted them their League Cup win, they`d have let it lie, but seeing as how they have nothing else to do all day except drink Tennants and lie around in their unwashed undergarments waiting for the Giro to arrive, their single brain cells are having difficulty allowing any new thoughts in.
Now, naturally, if our friends from Scouseland were to come calling, then I would expect St Owen to give them a big no thanks, but there is no denying that he has form. I dare say Burnley fans knew that one day he would move on (or be moved on), and we are not under any delusions that he will one day do the same with Bolton (or be moved on). It has been suggested to me by Tweet that he is disillusioned with the lack of money that is available to him, as in none, and that John W. and his massive wad would be just lure that he needs. If this is causing him a sleepless night before tomorrow`s game, because tomorrow`s game probably won`t, then let him think on this. Sam Allardyce, Michael Ricketts, El-Hadji Diouf, Tal Ben Haim.
Until tomorrow, I`m a Cadbury`s Twirl.