The magic of the cup. Not for me it isn’t.

I’m going tonight, of course I am. At a tenner or a fiver a go there should be a decent crowd but it isn’t a sell out. Perhaps we’ve gone all high and mighty now that we’re league one and all that.

The fact that we’re league one is the reason I’m not all that bothered about the result tonight. It’s usually said that the cup is an opportunity to forget the stresses and strains of the league. I don’t want to. I want to play and play until that damned corner is turned. Last Saturday apart, we’ve looked like its not far away. Goodness knows how many points we’ve nearly gained. Enough to see us mid table that’s for sure.

Just when we needed to play, we’re not. No game this Saturday. I thought at one time our luck had turned. Everything we touched turned to gold. Now it doesn’t but I firmly believe better times will return.

It seems to me the manager is trying to make us better defensively. He's largely succeeding but of course you don’t win games on defending alone, it’s not as if our set pieces are anything to write home about but if you don’t concede you gain a point.

Tonight of course is not about gaining points. I can’t imagine two sides less interested in the result than the two protagonists this evening but both sides are interested in keeping their season on the rails. In City’s case we must end the season as a league one side, it’s as simple as that.

Next season we can hopefully start to progress. I think I can see where the manager is trying to go with the playing style and I like it. The last thing we need right now is to have to get out of league two again so it’s imperative that City put in a good shift at Sincil Bank and take the opportunity to put a few things right. If we win, all well and good. If we lose, well we’re expected to but what I’d really like win or lose is to see some of that fighting spirit that has characterised the club recently.