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Ben Herd on handbags against Bournemouth, the transfer window and 3D glasses!
Well, I have played three games in a week since I last wrote this column. It's always the way isn't it, you don't play for ages, then all of a sudden the games come thick and fast. We have now played the top two teams in the League, Rochdale and Bournemouth and both of them have very differing styles of play. Take Rochdale, very comfortable on the ball playing nice neat passes, whilst Bournemouth opts for a more direct approach especially when big Fletcher is playing. As I have said before, no style of play is wrong or right, but after coming through these two games, I have to say "Dale" will take some beating in not going up as champions. Our game with Bournemouth is deemed a bit of a derby - somewhat by default considering it is about 60 miles away! Nonetheless, it was an important game for ourselves to really cement a play-off place, not to mention for the fans and they really generated a great atmosphere. It was a typical "derby" game really, with it being a bit scrappy and physical and not much to mention except the referee awarding Bournemouth a dodgy penalty. The real excitement came with about 2 or 3 minutes left of stoppage time, I’ll talk you through it if you haven't yet seen it. Bournemouth are awarded a throw in right next to our dugout, the match ball has disappeared into the crowd somewhere and their left back, Warren Cummins, is trying take the throw in with a spare ball. As he is doing so our sub keeper, Clarke Masters - who is a funny guy, throws the original match ball for him, only for Cummins not to be looking and hitting him square in the face - comedy gold! Cummins is understandably annoyed, not to mention humiliated, as our entire bench is laughing at him, so what does he do....like most of us would do, launch a half volley into the dugout! What followed was just your typical football "fight", a lot of name calling and shoving but not a single punch thrown. Cummins was sent off, as was Clarke, however he has since had it rescinded! Nothing spilled over in the tunnel after the game, and it was refreshing to see all the lads (even one's in the stand) ready to stick up for their team-mates.
Our next match wasn't quite so exciting, away to Accy, not the nicest of places to go and I think Damien Duff summed it up well when he said on MOTD, that you can't play football on a pitch like that! He was right, but Accy seemed to do it better than us on the night and we consequently conceded two sloppy goals which cost us. We now have to make sure that we can push on in this league and not have to visit Accy next season!
The transfer window's door is almost shut and I have to say that it has probably been the quietest windows since I can remember. I see Robinho has left "Citeh" to go and count his dollar back home in his native Brazil, but other than that not too much has happened. The most interesting transfer for me has been Chris Smallings arranged transfer to Manchester United which is to go through in the summer. It is stories like his, playing in the Isthmian league with Maidstone 18 months ago, that gives every footballer hope. It definitely drives me on in my ambition at playing at the highest level I can, because pretty much every window I end up saying: "how has he gone there?" or "how has he nicked that move?". The point of the window is absolutely lost on me, and without sounding like a complete nerd, is it not a restriction on trade? All I know is, it must be a nightmare for managers!
One thing that might give football purists a nightmare is the thought of wearing some poxy 3D glasses down your local whilst trying to watch your team. Of course I am talking about the Arsenal vs. Man Utd match that is being screened in pubs across the country in 3D. Like it or not, it is definitely coming, with the World Cup even being filmed in 3D. Films such as Avatar and the popularity that it has generated, has probably given it more of a platform. No doubt we will probably soon have smellyvision as well with the scent of Pukka pies wafting into your living room straight from the match! The thing that I can't wait to see is some big fat hairy geezer down his local pub with his Stone Island jacket on, tattooed up wearing these poxy plastic 3D glasses! Let's hope that they are going to go back to games and install 3D into previous games - at least that way we can all laugh at Clarke Masters comedy moment against Bournemouth! – Again!
Finally, I'd best mention the BigTips Last Man Standing competition, I've gone for Southampton this week, good luck all but I have to warn you, that £500 has got my name on it!
Posted: Friday, January 29th, 2010 @ 09:01 am by Ben Herd
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