Bit of rough and tumble? Don’t mind if I do.

 

Strangely enough I probably enjoyed the Wycombe game a bit more than the win against Morecambe. Obviously the three points were better than one but for some reason, probably the fact that I wasn’t expecting anything from the game, I was more relaxed about the outcome, particularly as we’d picked up three points last time out.

For a start, there wasn’t so much of an insistence of playing out from the back. That’s not a criticism of that tactic, about which more later. In the days when City used to play like Wycombe, managers used to say things like, they’re good at what they do. Call it a backhanded compliment, I call it not a compliment at all, it was a signal that it was not the way opposition managers would have their teams play. I didn’t believe a word of it then and I don’t believe a word of it now, Wycombe are up at the right end of the league and that’s the end of it as far as I’m concerned.

What I would say though is you play that way if you haven’t got an awful lot of talent at your disposal, well that’s how it was when we played a more direct game. We play the way we do now because that’s the way our manager wants it and basically if we didn’t the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal wouldn’t loan us their young talent and we need that to balance the books skills wise.

Talking of young players, I sincerely hope young Norton-Cuffy’s parents were watching on Saturday as their lad grabbed the opportunity presented to him with both hands. Once he embarked on that mazy run the roar that greeted Norton-Cuffy’s every touch was tremendous and well deserved.

In fact several players seem to be emerging from the doldrums they had drifted into, not all, but many, and, certainly on Saturday there didn’t seem to be the nerves, either from the crowd or the players when Wycombe equalised. Maybe it was the fact that nothing was expected from the game but I do hope, having emerged from this difficult fixture City don’t throw it all away by losing the third of three home games this coming Tuesday.

Assuming, hoping the Imps emerge victorious from the Doncaster clash then the home hoodoo may be said to be over. I hope I don’t regret saying that.