Luxe, Calme et Volupté

It’s a painting by Henri Matisse. I love Matisse although I’m not all that keen on that painting. Where is all this going I hear you ask? Well it means Luxury Calm and Pleasure and that’s what I felt ironically when City weren’t playing at all but Bury were, last Tuesday night and as we all know, just for once they didn’t win, so the Imps remained at the top of the table.

That in itself is neither here nor there but a succession of results and games seemed to put City’s season into perspective. I watched Liverpool draw a game they desperately needed to win and then I watched Spurs marvellous performance in Dortmund flicking between twitter and the game for the score from Cheltenham. In its own way that Spurs snatch and grab win coming as it did after an all out attacking display by the German side kind of reminded me of the preceding Saturdays win at Forest Green Rovers and I thought, for the first time, you know we’re going to do this.

Now I’m far from confident Bury won’t overtake us, they are the form team at the moment despite that lapse but that isn’t the be all and end all, the prize is for City to be playing in league one next season.

It’s tempting to think the Imps have two winnable home games coming up. I think we all know the reality could present a considerable difficulty but, no matter, the Imps will be greatly encouraged by their performance last Saturday and furthermore the change in formation and tactics will have given the manager plenty to think about and more importantly the opposition managers too. Do they prepare for a lone striker or a pair? The Imps, for my money have been a bit predictable at home and few sides prosper when faced with stifling opposition but now have another string to their bow.

I fully expect City to get back to winning ways tonight though and then a sort of coming round in a circle that you often get in football with the visit of Oldham Athletic who, for me were there at the start of City’s renaissance as we knocked them out of the FA Cup. Oldham’s manager saw fit to apologise to their fans for the ignominy of being beaten by such minnows as the Imps. They were soon in good company though and the manager soon on his way and here we are now as equals although you might say they’ve dropped considerably below us despite their celebrity manager.

So yes, I felt a certain calm and pleasure as I luxuriated in that uncharacteristic slip up by the Shakers. Fine art and a fine football club. What other blog would give you that?