Never heard a Dickie bird.

Well, who saw that one coming? Rob Dickie not just returns to Reading but is immediately snapped up by League One Oxford on a permanent deal.

I’d assumed Dickie was a replacement for Sean Raggett but now City not only lose him but Dickie too. Good job there’s no football this weekend.

In my view and regular readers will know I claim no expertise in these matters, Dickie is no Raggett or, for that matter, Waterfall. I’ve read elsewhere maybe Dickie was miffed at being left out to accommodate Waterfall and I’m certain City would not have offered the sort of deal Oxford were prepared to agree. Either way he’s gone and we must say with our best wishes as he’s done a fine job. That leaves the club, not awash with new recruits as we’d allowed ourselves to imagine but short in the one area we’d admired all season, defence.

With just the one new recruit so far, the loan of Danny Rowe, Imps fans, as usual find themselves underneath the table searching for scraps despite last seasons substantial recharging of finances and huge increase in gates and season ticket sales. If we’d imagined that no longer was the case and City were now at the top table this week has shown we’re not which dismays me. Danny Cowley is fond of saying the City fans are Premier League, well League One certainly but, despite the performance in the league which give real reason for hope I still feel like a poor relation compared to the likes of Mansfield and Notts County who not long ago scrapped their (our) women’s team and had the begging bowl out. This was quickly followed by the offer of £100000 to try to prise away one of Forest Green Rovers best assets, which was ultimately successful. Twas ever thus.

Add to the mix the mysterious lack of any information on the training ground and I have to admit my usual red-and-white sunny disposition has taken a bit of a knock.