Post Match Musings: Neutering the Cats
Posted by Ratbert in Bolton, FA Cup, Sunderland | 20 March 2006
With an FA Cup hangover dogging the team, there probably wasn’t a better time to be playing Sunderland. Had we been up against one of our Europe-chasing rivals on Saturday, home defeat no.2 might have been on the cards. But fortunately it was undeniably the Premiership’s all-time worst team, and the Black Cats predictably failed to land a scratch on us, with the two Kevins providing clinical but delightful goals in the second half to ensure a 2-0 win and a hold on seventh place.
Alas, Spurs, Blackburn and Wigan all registered victories as well, which meant Bolton stood still rather than gained much of an advantage. Ah well, we remain up there with the two games in hand fast looming. Birmingham City is the only one with a set date yet, and that promises to be a cracker; they need the points to escape the bottom three – especially with Portsmouth coming up on the rails, thanks to the favour Redknapp got from his ex-employers at the weekend (cynic? Moi?), whilst we have fourth place riding on six potential points. Middlesbrough, the other game in hand, is a home tie, which is advantage enough, but they are on form at the moment. One can only hope the UEFA Cup takes its toll on them.
Still, even four points from those two matches should be enough to get one hand on said UEFA place next term.
Other news; the rumour mill is starting to crank up again, with Francis Jeffers being linked with a summer move to the Reebok. I’d be decidedly underwhelmed with such an acquisition – face it, you can hardly describe him as a striker when he doesn’t actually score any goals (hence his prolonged bench-warming wherever he lays his hat). However, it’s probably a load of tabloid twaddle.
Meanwhile, feast on these – The Times on why long-ball isn’t a bad thing, and The Observer hailing Big Sam. Who wouldn't?
