Beef Bagel

It’s not that we won. It’s not the five goals. It’s not the spanking. It’s not that both of our strikers scored. It’s not that Malbranque (groin) got his first. It’s not that he flew into the crowd and the face of the stupid over celebration yellow card rule. It’s not that despite being away all weekend, missing both the game itself and the MOTD highlights, some kind sole posted this…

…it’s the praise from whinge bag Lawrenson that’s put a big one on The Bagel’s face from ear to proverbial ear. I’m going to have to listen to that again…

… “throughout the course of the season they will get better away from home; top 5/top 6″

He may whine like a northerner and be an ex-wearer of the red but he’s not often too wrong, tache shaving wager aside.

On a personal level, as if I ever offer anything less, I am somewhat gutted to have missed this apparent walkover, mostly because I spent the weekend at the worst music festival, to which I have ever been. Admittedly, there were a few highlights including Iggy and the Stooges, Dinosaur Jr, MC5 and a rather drunk girl, appropriately enough named ‘Nailer’ but most of the weekend was spent sitting on squidgey carpets, in bingo halls “listening” to “bands” with such as names as ‘My Cat is an Alien’, ‘Nurse with Wound’ and my personal favourites, ‘16 Bitch Pile Up.’

I’m actually convinced that the line up consisted of the same group moving round from stage to stage, tuning up for forty minutes on each for one big gig at the end, which never actually happened. I was offered a lift home on Sunday but it would have involved sitting in the back of my friend’s car whilst he received head in the lay by of the A303 from a fuck buddy of his in Andover. On reflection I’d have rather chosen the early escape. Hell, I’d even have given her a hand if it would have meant getting back in time for MOTD 2.

Top five or six, a consolidation of our achievements as a high end Premiership outfit would be an excellent thing but just inches down my very own writings (notice how I avoided using the word ‘column’) I feel a slight sting in my mind, a hollowness in this small victory. Coming 5th or 6th consistently never really did much for any club in the recent history of the English League. It’s top 4 when it all starts to happen and as much as I can see us picking up our form away from home and fighting it out with the other CL hopefuls, who are we going to replace amongst the current seemingly untouchables? That away form better be something very special indeed.

But then who would have thought we would’ve got so close last season? Was it not December last year when we first caught hold of that fourth rung on the ladder and clung on so gallantly for dear life? Could it be that this same month may be just as lucky this time around? As I’ve said before this is an exciting time down at WHL and those suspensions and injuries may just be what the doctor ordered. A strange sadistic doctor this would make him but isn’t there something in the Hippocratic Oath about promising to do no harm to any patient, provided they’re not about to screw up a football teams’ winning streak and balance? No? There should be.

Speaking of balance, was this right about what Lawro said? Was Little Aaron playing behind the strikers? Was he the tip of a diamond with The Man Mountain at the base and Malbranque (groin) and Tainio at the sides or did it just appear that way as Steeeeeeeeeed began to drift in from his left wing responsibilities? Answers on a postcard to thebagel@beefbagel.com, completing the tie-breaker “I love Martin Jol because….” in 15 words or less.

So long as Big Bad Tom plays the anchor and Defoe and Dimitar (I like the sound of that) stay together up front, that “gel”, with which they often try to glue the players could fast form solid concrete, trough enough for any team to try to crack.

But let us not dwell too much on the distant future. Like all good managers, let us focus on the next game, well the next league game. The less said about Thursday’s barely breathing rubber and ticket fiasco, the better. Man City away. Now, that sounds like a place to get our first away win of the season. No offence intended towards the Right Honourable Stuart Pearce, it’s just it sounds like a comfortable fixture. They have nothing to prove and we do.

Finally today, there’s a wee dabbling of news in the in the transfer markets. According to Ajax, there will be no move for Davids. That’s a good thing as far as I’m concerned. The Dredded Dutchman is picking up far too much flack this season for The Bagel’s liking. He is a very important presence in our squad and should certainly make the bench if not the XI for our away fixtures. If there’s a result to grind out and a tenacity we lack, he’s the only player that can turn that game for us.

Of more immediate interest, though, is the Ajax coach’s following words. Henk ten Cate (don’t ask me if that’s his full name or just three selected syllables) said this…

“Edgar Davids will not come in the winter break to Amsterdam. Our squad is complete,”

“At the most, Leonardo will come and Jan Vertonghen will perhaps be loaned out.”

Hello? What’s this? Leonardo? Does he mean our Leonardo? I think he does you know. That could well be one man crossed off our xmas list. It may even be two with this statement coming out of Curtis Davies and the Hawthornes (sounding rather like a band from the 50’s)…

“I’m a West Brom player and want to stay.”

“I’m still dreaming of lifting that Championship trophy.”

…think he’s right on both points there. He does look now like he’s going to stay at West Brom and he’s definitely dreaming if he’s thinking about lifting the Championship trophy with them. If he wants to do that, why not move to West Ham?

The one vaguely positive mover and shaker is the link between ourselves and Preston North End striker, David Nugent. Here’s his head…

…apologies. Wrong Nugent. Here’s his head…

…during his time at Razor Ruddock summer camp.

The 21 year old is having a whale of time in the Championship since being rejected by the Liverpool Academy all those years ago. He’s chunky 5′11″ er and has the benefit of some serious pace. There’s only one problem, his name.

There’s one of you out there and yes, I mean you Oog, who knows exactly what I’m talking about. ‘David Nugent’ is not a Premiership name. It belongs in the Championship. Alton Thelwell, Jamie Slabber, Luke Chadwick all names that just didn’t sit right in the top flight, all players that just didn’t quite make the grade. Sure, Davey boy plays for Engand U21’s but you’re just never going to set a team sheet on fire with a name like that. He’ll never get selected alongside titles such as, King, Dimitar, Zokora and Steed. Liverpool could see it, let’s hope we can too.

Sorting the sheep from the bagels.

The Bagel.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 12th, 2006 at 5:25 pm and is filed under Bagel News, Match Reports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.