Blackburn at Home

This is my first article for quite a while. One got lost in cyber space, one got sent in late by hotmail, whilst I was utterly demoralised after the disaster up in Enfield. But I’m back, and it’s a great time to be back, with things ticking along nicely. The win at Man City was a big one, especially given what the scum and Pompey achieved later in the day. By the time we kick off against Blackburn the Chavs will have faced Liverpool at home and United will have played City. Liverpool normally push Chelsea and heaven knows what’s going to go off in a Manchester Derby on such an emotive day. Whether it comes to extending our lead or holding on at the top we have to beat Blackburn.

And we can. Adebayor is still a colossus. He’s scored goals in the air, he’s scored goals from the edge of the box, he’s scored bundled goals and he’s scored great goals. He clearly loves being head honcho up top. Finally we have a player who wants to score an extra goal even if we’ve won the game, who wants to score a scrappy goal just so he can celebrate as though he’s won the world cup. Nothing showed this more than the way he got up after being fouled against City by Elano. Cynical challenge, he gets up, busts a gut to get to the action, finishes. What I most enjoyed was his attitude. Getting straight up encouraged the referee to wave for advantage (well, not wave, more thrust his arms forward but you get what I mean) and then to go back and book Elano for the challenge. A cynical challenge got its just deserts. I really don’t know who to compare him to any more.

As for the rest of the team, I thought they did alright. We got the finish you expect from Eduardo, turning a half chance into a ball buried in the corner of the net. Once again he’s shown that if the ball bounces in and around the six-yard box he’ll be on the scene and finishing. What’s really been good about his year is that he’s quietly got on with scoring goals when he’s played and now that he’s settled in he brings and air of confidence to us in the box. Senderos is also forming a good partnership with Gallas, which is encouraging given Kolo got a knock for the Ivory Coast last week. Clichy probably should have done better for his goal, but that’s the first time he’s made any sort of error all season, and in those situations he normally been fantastic; beating the man, starting a counter attack.

And what of Blackburn? Well they started like a steam train, and it looked like them and Everton had the UEFA cup spot sewn up between them. Then they forgot how to defend (and we did them in the Carling Cup 3-2) and now there slowly staging a recovery. Bentley has been their best player, whilst for a while Roque Santa Cruz looked like a bit of a machine. Having said that we should win this game. Friedel finally looks past his best (I remember some epic performances from him against us) and as mentioned before their defence isn’t what it should be. I suppose in their defence they do have two champions league winners, and two men who almost guarantee goals up front in the form of the above mentioned Cruz and McCarthy.

So, a prediction. I’ve gotta say a win, and given that we’re growing game by game at the back, and at putting away our chances, I reckon Monday is the day when United lose the “extra point” of having such a better goal difference. It’s been a joy to watch a 9 goal lead crumbled week by week, and now I reckon we’ll win 4-0 on a day they scrape through by a single goal, to see us with the better goal difference.

By Nathan Grower