CAN I HAVE A WORD?

My 100th post has been and gone on my blog and hasn’t flown by. Nothing has really changed though, apart from City progressing through to play Aalborg in the final 16 of the UEFA Cup. The performance from the team was consistent after the 1-1 draw against Liverpool and once again Crag Bellamy proved to be worth his weight in gold, scoring a second half brace. I will be the first to admit that I really wasn’t his biggest fan at first, but I am glad that he is winning me over with his antics on the pitch. His pace and skills are something to be saluted and he could prove to be a very profitable acquisition, despite his £14 million price tag.

But at Upton Park, against West Ham, we looked a different side. Both Robinho and Stephen Ireland have looked out of sorts lately. We really needed somebody who could grab the game by the scruff of the neck and the quality in the final third was non-existent. The tough run will be continued, against Aston Villa at home on Wednesday, and I fear a backlash from Martin O’Neill. His side were 2-0 up then concede two late goals to Stoke City and O’Neill looked devastated and baffled in the post-match interview. Is this where the wheels come off the Villan’s recent run of form or where they punish us for their Saturday troubles? In light of the circumstances, I would be happy with a point.

At the moment I am really busy with university work. I’m in my final year now and I have to simulate running a newspaper with my fellow course-mates. I was at Deepdale, home of Preston North End, on Saturday and it was my first time in the press-box. After the game I went along to the manager’s press conferences and subsequently I wrote a match report, along with various different features. I’ve also got a lot of work involving a solo project that I’m working on. I’m trying to be really ambitious and have done well with the interviews I have conducted so far (BBC’S Jacqui Oatley and Jake Humphrey, Colin Bell, Tony Coton, Paddy McGuinness) and I’m currently sorting out questions for the first ever female football manager, Donna Powell, and the Bolton Wanderer’s kit man. It sounds a bit random, but all will be revealed!