Scary Shef

Is he afraid that's his career that he just saw behind him? Or is he afraid of his punishment for swearing at AB after his winner last night? Maybe he's afraid that the BBC don't bother having library photographs of Championship players in their current club kit. Or maybe it's just a good impression of Emperor Palpatine.
Either way, a welcome 3 points - thank goodness for Little Shef.
Quite a tough-looking month and a bit on the horizon.
The Extrapolator is looking a tad neglected...

Preston at the Ricoh and King Marlon arrives

Rarely has so much controversy been stirred by the arrival of one man. King Marlon has managed to split opinion more than even the arrival of Gunner's mullet earlier in the year.

Should a convicted sex offender be given a chance to play top flight football again? Should he be given a chance to play for us first? Is he allowed to change with the Youth Team if needed? Can he play evening games? The debate has raged for weeks.

Now he's signed, and he made his debut on the bench against Preston.

Personally, I reckon he's shown himself not to be a nice man, he's been convicted, and he's served his time, so I reckon he's due another chance.

Anyway, Preston arrived, we gave them a goal from a corner, then they hit a cracking second from 25 yards just before half time. Oddly, we were playing well.

The King arrives from the bench, Gunnar gets a goal back and is immediately subbed, and we've got best part of half hour to win the game.

We don't. King Marlon however looked very good, and a class above the rest.

We lost, but we played pretty well, best I've seen this season.

Donny up next, we'll beat them. 3-1. That's my prediction

The Good Old Days

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/coventry-city-fc/coventry-city-fc-news/2010/09/14/cyrille-regis-autobiography-the-day-coventry-city-won-the-fa-cup-92746-27263985/

Oh, the memories - I'm grateful we were around to see that fleeting period.

Quite an interesting excerpt from Big C's autobiog, another one since published in the CT. Cup final week beers, weeing on the open-top bus, and the Bullseye-esque all-expenses paid trip to Magaluf - don't forget the £500 spending money (from memory, albeit hazy, there is only one thing to spend money on in Magaluf).

And loving the photos - including those much-missed tea cups and some strange tea-lady smiles, and John Barnes forgetting to wear his shorts.

Freddy's on the bus; and delusion

Clearly AB also thinks of wheels when referring to his injured striker - “His work-rate, attitude and willingness to chase lost causes has really impressed me and that’s why I definitely want him on the bus to be part of what we are trying to do here."

In other news, 3 home wins in 10 years against Whippet North End is rhubarb. Let's hope King's Coronation is right up our Street. 2 home games in 4 days - this time next week, Rodney, we could be 2nd in the league.

Matchday 5: Getting thumped 1-1 by Leicester at the Ricoh

Leicester came to play at the Ricoh, and little Jim made his first visit of the season to witness our new style team play with skill, passion and create a succession of golden opportunities.

Well, that was the optimistic prediction.

Didn't quite turn out like that. One way traffic for much of the game, and we were lucky to escape with a point. Chef limped off early doors, to be relaced by Comedy Roadshow, back in Aidy's thoughts after being in the doghouse for a while. A cracking cross was buried neatly by Plattini to give us a totally undeserved lead.

Second half saw Leicester continue to play nice attacking football, and we ended with that dynamic "three holding player midfield" of Mrs Doyle, Clingon and Centre Circle Carsley. Needless to say, we didn't threaten much, and didn't have another shot on target.

A point we didn't deserve, good atmosphere for most of it, and onwards to the third world on Tuesday night.

A nice pert number two

News this morning that Aidy has a nice pert number two.

Martyn Pert is joining from Watford, but not to replace Steve Harry Harrison and his not so pert number twos.

In other news, continuing our David MacNamee sponsored "injured players we have known and occasionally loved" feature, Leon MacKenzie has joined the Cobblers over there along the M45. We wish him well in his quest to play more than two consecutive games.

12.30 kick off on Saturday, which is an early start from London

Millwall away

15 games without a win now at Millwall's 2 Dens.

SBJ, YDO, Sheila, Tim and assorted others made the trip to the Barrowboy & Banker before heading over to the lovely environs of South Bermondsey.

Vivienne banished to the bench as part of his love spat with Aidy. Very bad subsequent impact on the 5-man defensive 'unit'. Clingan thankfully back for Mrs Doyle. DJ Jukebox out injured, Wheels on his bench.

The 79 minutes I saw included one of / quite possibly the worst all-round performance from a centre back I have seen since David Rennie. Whatever Nathan Cameron apparently did right in my absence in the first 2 games of the season, this observer thought him dodgy, slow and unaware against Derby, and just plain not a professional footballer this time out. Massively unimpressed with his manager leaving him on for 90 minutes when so clearly having a stinker. As SBJ said of him, "Time for a rest". Keogh also looked as if he may be a League 1 defender at best.

Plattini did OK on his own despite 2 boys picking on him all game whilst the teacher turned a blind eye, and set up Gunnar for the one bright moment of the afternoon. The latter was replaced almost immediately for Wheels as the manager went 4-4-2 but Baker had 5 minutes of madness after which we handed the points to them without a whimper.

Very irritating all round.

Struggling Leicester up next, 100% home record needs extending.

Calm before the storm

While the YDO composes himself for a brief summary of the unsuccessful trip to Millwall, I thought it worth a few lines on today's skyblue news.

The waiting continues on the Marlon King signing. Just get it done with, it's taking longer than an enquiry into News of the World phone tapping.

Isaac still can't run apart from in a straight line, which sounds sadly like we may have seen the last of him at the Ricoh.

Calum Davenport is trying to resurrect his career with Wooton Blue Cross, in the UCL. Which is apparently a league, and not a college.

David McNamee is having a trial with Swindon - will he break down on the motorway, or at the training ground I wonder.

And we're selling Vivienne in January. No surprise there then.

Leicester up next, must check if they have moved the kick-off to breakfast time or sometime equally daft.